The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Readers' Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Readers' Mail

Root out traffic violation

Sir, — As a long-time resident of the city --- six decades -- it pains me to see the attitudinal change of some citizens who constantly violate traffic rules and challenge the police who try to enforce rules. Violations that occur on Nungambakkam High Road near Village Road Circle, leading to Sterling Road Circle on to Chetpet bridge and EVR Salai clearly indicate that violators do what pleases them, driving on the wrong side in a one-way road and worse, speeding past the `Red' signal.

Discipline must be restored on the arterial roads; but the traffic police seem to be clustered in one spot and are not seen in areas where violations take place. The police must be authorised to charge offenders on the spot like it is done in Mumbai. The media must provide more space to engage with the public on traffic problems. Television in Mumbai constantly highlights this issue and arranges debates between city Police Commissioner and the public.

R. Mahalakshmi,

Nungambakkam

Intolerable

Sir, — I reside in Govardhan Street, Royapettah. The entire area has to bear with frequent power cuts, especially in the night, ruining everyone's sleep when the weather is not benevolent. The complaints I have made have had no positive result. A team from TNEB comes, sets right the defect only for the malady to strike almost the very next day. The lot of the aged, infants and students can be imagined.

V.R. Kasturi Rangan,

Royapettah

Left tottering

Sir, — Commuters suffer a lot while travelling in the new broad gauge EMU cars between Tambaram and Chennai during peak hours, as there are no bars or rings which will help standees maintain their balance. Is it not possible for our engineers in Integral Coach Factory to fix such support to 3-seat cars as is the case in two-seat cars in the same new BG EMU?

N. Ganesan,

Selaiyur

The Hindu thanked

Sir, I thank The Hindu very much for publishing in the Reader's mail column of September 6 issue, bus passengers' grievances about lack of bus service from Villivakkam to Tiruverkadu via Nathamuni cinema.

The letter has caught the attention of MTC authorities who have started operating buses on route no 20D between Parrys and Tiruverkadu via Nathamuni theatre.

B. Rajan Boopathy,

Villivakkam

Metrowater supply

Sir, — As I have been medically advised not to lift anything heavy I have engaged a woman to fetch me water that is supplied through lorry (19th Street, Jai Nagar, Arumbakkam, Area V) to draw only two pots of water on alternate days.

Since the distribution had been entrusted to an unauthorised person, not connected to the Board, by the Engineer for Area V, this person apportions water according to his likes and dislikes after taking money. When money is not given, he denies water under some pretext or the other as he has in the case of the woman who fetches me water. I have brought this to the notice of the Board officials including its Managing Director, the P.R.O. but they have not stopped unauthorised persons from selling water.

C.K. Parameswaran,

Arumbakkam

Guideline value and IT

Sir, — This is to bring out the glaring anomaly in guideline values fixed by the Government for property in different places in the same area. The income tax department says that the guideline value shall be the basis for capital gain computation. The registration office (Periamet) has the following figures for "Landons Road in Kilpauk. For January 2003, the guideline value was Rs. 2,688 a sq.ft.; for October 2003, Rs. 4,270 and for January, 2004 Rs. 3,000. The changes remain unaltered in the website.

None of the above revisions have been updated in the website "tnreginet.net", which continues to show the guideline value as Rs. 2,688 a sq.ft. as on date. The guideline value for the much bigger, more prominent and wider "Taylors Road" in the same area had continued to be Rs. 1,882 a sq.ft. during the period in question. The guideline value of "Poonamallee High Road" (E.V.R. Salai), from which "Taylors Road" branches off, continued to be Rs. 3,246 a sq.ft., for the same period.

If the above figures can be considered "arbitrary and unrealistic" how will the Income Tax department reconcile itself to the rationale in demanding capital gains tax?

R. Krishnaswamy,

Kilpauk

Desalination, the answer

Sir, — The Chief Minister, Ms. J. Jayalalithaa has requested the Prime Minister to grant Rs. 1680 crores for drought relief (The Hindu: August 29).

As all measures to tackle drought are temporary why does the Government not spend a little more money and use it for the desalination project? We will then be saving precious groundwater, which is depleting at an alarming rate.

The complacency of the people is simply appalling. Our farmers are going to suffer for generations.

Nalini Ramakrishna,

Kilpauk

Exploitation

Sir, — A few months ago the BSNL announced different plan packages — "General/Urban, Special & Super", placing the consumers in different categories of plan packages depending upon the maximum number of calls made every month.

As per this announcement, computer will place an individual consumer in the proper plan package found beneficial to him. This automatic plan package, has been working well all along.

All of a sudden the BSNL came out with yet another announcement in the August bill that change of package will not be automatic henceforth, but the option was to be exercised by the consumer himself, that too, before August, 20.

This is clear exploitation, especially in the case of an illiterate consumer. No one can be prospectively sure of the maximum number of calls he will be making every month.

R. Swaminathan,

Virugambakkam

Unmoved

Sir, — We shifted our residence from Thillaiganga Nagar, Nanganallur to Kodambakkam on July 31. On the very day the telephone was disconnected as per our application. It is regrettable to note that we have not yet got the connection in spite of our many requests.

I am pained by the indifference of Chennai Telephones that claims it cares for subscribers.

K. Nagarajan,

Kodambakkam

Bring the guilty to book

Sir, — The news item in Page 3 of The Hindu dated August 31 made me learn that shortage of water in Nanganallur is due to many other residents having connected their pumps directly to the supply lines to drain water into their sumps. This has to have been been done with the connivance of the municipal authorities concerned. It is time the Government ordered a probe and brought to book both officials and residents who have violated the law.

V. N. Krishnan,

Nanganallur

Shift godown

Sir, — There is a kerosene storage godown in the New Bangaru Colony, West K.K. Nagar, surrounded by residential houses. It has to be shifted to away, keeping safety in mind. In this connection we would like to draw the attention of the High Court ruling on stacking of combustible materials in residential localities (The Hindu, June 16).

M.M. Jaganathan,

president, New Bangaru Colony welfare forum,

West K.K.Nagar

Streetlights

do not burn

Sir, — The streetlights on Madurai Vasal Street near Broadway have not been working for the past six months. This has caused several accidents. The Corporation electrical wing has been informed of this several times.

K. Rajendran,

George Town

Speedbreakers needed

Sir, — Two speedbreakers are required opposite the gate of St. Bede's Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School at Santhome, to enable people, especially children to cross the road safely and quickly.

H. Madhusudhan,

Triplicane

Poor repairs

Sir, — In these columns on September 6, readers have complained about frequent power failures and voltage fluctuations which caused the meter to be burnt out. Whenever there is cable fault, that portion of the cable alone is replaced without using cable joints. It is done by a crude method of keeping three bricks in a triangular shape and pouring liquefied tar over the joint. In Nallappan Street, Mylapore, for almost two or three months, there have been frequent power failures and only temporary repairs as stated above are carried out.

S. Vaidyanathan,

Mylapore

Make road usable

Sir, — The one km stretch of the Chromepet-Railway Border road is the only approach road for about 50,000 people residing in Hasthinapuram, Nehru, Venkatraman, Gajalakshmi, Krishna and MC Nagars, Chitlapakkam and State Bank Colony. It is in an awful condition. During rainy days, it is slushy. The rail commuters are compelled to walk along the rail track risking their lives. We have requested the Southern Railway to relay the road.

V. Santhanam,

president,

Chromepet New Colony

Residents' welfare society

Rly. timetable

Sir, — The Railway Minister deserves the thanks of the travelling public for fixing the price of the new Railway timetable at the old rate of Rs. 25 even-though it contains the train timings of South Central and South Western Railways in addition to Southern Railway. But the new timetable is yet to reach the sale counters. So passengers have difficulty in getting to know the correct departure and arrival timing as the tickets they hold just have "New Timetable from 1-9-2004'', imprinted.

M. A. Nelson,

Adambakkam

Making traffic

smooth

Sir, — That T. Nagar is overcrowded even on ordinary days is well-known. In the coming months several festivals will be celebrated. May I suggest the following measures to tackle the traffic problem in the immediate future.

The divider on the North Usman Road, has worsened the problem. Hence the entire stretch of Mambalam High Road should be restored to public traffic. This will solve the problem to a large extent.

It is a surprise as to how the authorities have ignored this High Road, connecting Duraisami Road with Mahalingapuram.

Many residents in West Mambalam, Rangaraja Puram, Ashok Nagar need not pass through Panagal Park if my suggestion is accepted.

On Usman Road, from Panagal Park to T. Nagar bus stand, the divider should be built to regulate road crossing at specific places, rather than allowing everyone to cross as she/he likes.

Srinivasaraaghavan,

Secy., Exnora Innovators Club, T.Nagar North

Wrong billing

Sir, — I am using a Tata Indicom mobile phone for the past 10 months. I have received a bill for Rs. 669 which I believe is inflated. The Tata Indicom company has not even acknowledged my complaint, leave alone making the necessary correction.

Ramachandran,

Triplicane

Feeling

helpless

Sir, — I have invested in the P.O.M.I.S scheme and was given prize coupons. The Kancheepuram District Collector's letter No. RC.38932/03 D/2412103 P.G2 informed me that my prize coupon No. 0758889 had got the 6th prize and I would be awarded a Kisan Vikas Patra for Rs. 500.

As instructed therein, I handed over the coupon with a form duly filled to the P.A. to the Collector (Small Savings) in Kancheepuram on January 3, 2004.

I was not given an acknowledgement but was assured of the KVP in due course. Several reminders over telephone and two visits to the office had not yielded any result. I am 79.

V. Narasimhan,

Nanganallur

(Letters for this column can also be sent by e-mail to letters@thehindu.co.in with full postal address. They should be marked `Readers' Mail')

Nungambakkam

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