The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Privatised garbage clearance working well, says Minister

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Friday, Apr 01, 2005

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Privatised garbage clearance working well, says Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, MARCH 31. A. Anbalagan (AIADMK) today questioned the practice of assigning sanitary work of the Pondicherry municipality to the private contractors.

Raising the issue during the question hour in the Assembly, he said that Rs 18 lakhs was being spent every year on garbage disposal by contractors. He said if the municipal authorities themselves took up the work, a number of poor workers could be given jobs.

He said there were also complaints of some private players engaging workers in night shifts, as the Local Administration department was keen on removal of the garbage round the clock under what is called `Hyderabad pattern of giving facelift to the city.'

Mr. Anbalagan's comments drew protests from members belonging to both the ruling and opposition blocks. The legislators said that the present system of round the clock removal of garbage had given the town a neat, clean look. The scheme could be extended to other constituencies in Pondicherry and Karaikal, they said.

The Local Administration Minister, A. Elumalai, said that the Hyderabad pattern of removal of garbage meant that the garbage generated in residential areas was being collected door to door and segregated to separate bio degradable and non-degradable solid waste. Cleaning of roadside drains round the clock also formed part of the anti-garbage drive here. He brushed aside the criticisms of Anbalagan, saying the people were happy with the system.

A.M.H. Nazim (DMK) urged the Government to start a Home for AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) patients as the social stigma attached to the ailment was causing mental agony to the patients.

He cited the instance of a woman afflicted with AIDS, saying she and her baby were virtually ostracised by society. A home could be started to accommodate such patients. The woman reportedly inherited the disease from her husband.

Mr. Nazim said that since the government had not taken a stand on implementation of Value Added Tax in the budget, merchants, traders and industrialists were confused whether Pondicherry would follow the new tax regime or not.

N. Gangadharan (Cong.) called for the creation of a separate Directorate for Welfare of Backward Classes in Pondicherry.

A.V. Sreedharan, Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister, said that Mahe was bringing in Rs 35 crores as tax revenue through the liquor business. He said steps should be taken to ensure that businessmen faced no hurdles.

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Privatised garbage clearance working well, says Minister