Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Opposition resists water tariff hike

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, NOV. 24. After putting up a stiff resistance last month, the Opposition in the Coimbatore Corporation Council made a climbdown today and agreed to the Government granting Rs.1.74 crore to Siruthuli, a voluntary organisation, to provide a green cover to the city and also desilt tanks to recharge ground water.

The Government had granted the amount to Siruthuli, a year-old public initiative to desilt tanks. The Corporation had to formally pass a resolution recommending that the grant be given to the organisation.

The Opposition had actually rejected the resolution in the Council asking why a private organisation should be given Government grant. Stating that it was meant for the Corporation, they insisted that the civic body should implement projects using the grant.

Assent given

After a presentation on the Siruthuli's action plan today by its Project Co-ordinator, M. Ramakrishnan, the Opposition agreed to the proposal that the voluntary body provide the green cover and desilt tanks. However, the party leaders laid a condition that Siruthuli should carry out these works strictly within the Corporation limits.

With the Opposition leaders giving their assent, the resolution kept pending would be passed in the Council and a recommendation made to the Government that Siruthuli be provided with the grant.

Maintenance of streetlights

Another issued on which the Opposition relented was privatised maintenance of streetlights. It agreed for privatisation as per the guidelines issued by the Government. Official sources pointed out that the guidelines recommended total privatisation— from procurement of accessories to maintenance, including operation of the lights.

Even at the Council meeting last month, Opposition members insisted that the Corporation should procure the accessories and hand over only maintenance to private parties. The Opposition made this demand following allegations of overpricing in purchase of the accessories.

However, today, it agreed to privatisation as per the Government guidelines. Tenders would be called for soon for privatised maintenance in only three zones- South,West and East. North Zone was excluded from this to try out total maintenance by the Corporation itself. (This zone was also brought under privatisation last time. The test case this time has been attributed to the desire of the Opposition that the Corporation has a hold on maintenance to check irregularities.)

Official sources said that if the experiment in North Zone proved successful, the Corporation might extend it to other zones.

Another turnaround made by the Opposition was on handing over designing of infrastructure to private engineering colleges. After some Opposition members wondered in the Council whether this scheme was necessary in spite of the Corporation having qualified engineers, the Opposition agreed to the proposal today. As per the proposal, 1.5 per cent of the project cost would be given as consultation fee to the institution that designed a project and also supervised it.

Pilloor Phase II

The Opposition leaders also wanted the Pilloor Phase II water scheme for the city to be implemented soon. They also called for grants from Central and State Governments for the Rs.110-crore scheme stating that full funding might be a heavy burden on the Corporation as it had to borrow a heavy loan from the World Bank for the propose Rs.168-crore underground drainage scheme also.

Hike opposed

Quite predictably, the Opposition rejected the proposal for a hike in drinking water charges.

Detailed explanations from the Mayor, T. Malaravan, and the civic officials did not help in convincing the Opposition members that a hike was needed now to offset the loss made due to the huge difference in revenue and expenditure in water supply and system maintenance.

With the leaders of the Opposition parties unrelenting, the issue was deferred for another round of discussion.

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