Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Mayor warns contractors

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, MARCH 31 . The Mayor, T. Malaravan, has warned of action against contractors if development works were not completed within the deadline. The warning was in response to complaints from councillors that a number of works were delayed.

At the Corporation Council meeting today, a visibly upset Mayor accused the contractors of trying to run the Corporation instead of playing by the rule.

R. Chandrashekar of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held the contractors responsible for the delay in completion of works. He demanded blacklisting of contractors who flouted rules and contributed to unjustifiable delay.

Agreeing with the members that the contractors "want to rule the Corporation", the Mayor pointed out that they (contractors) often complained of low income even after agreeing to the rates fixed in the tender.

Refusal to admit faults

Besides, the contractors refused to admit their mistakes. "The Commissioner scrutinises their performance and points out errors. But they refuse to admit. It is not fair, especially complaining of low rates after accepting them," Mr. Malaravan, said. "We will get tough. If they do not meet the deadline, action will be taken against them," he asserted.

After postponement of council meetings twice, the members got to present a catalogue of grouses against the Corporation, with regard to waste management, slow pace of works, erratic water supply and shortage of applications for Property Tax assessment and also birth and death registration.

No sooner the meeting started than the Leader of the Opposition, K.P. Jagannathan, wanted to know why he could not get to peruse files relating to water supply, waste management and streetlights, though he had asked for these six months ago. He sought these to know of the status of the core municipal services.

When Mr. Jagannathan wondered whether transparency was missing, the Mayor told him he could go through the files in the Deputy Commissioner's office during office hours.

`Deadline not met'

Waving a copy of the Citizens' Charter, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member, P.S. Selvarajan, asked officials whether they ensured that the deadline for providing services was met.

He alleged that the deadline was never met for any service, be it issuing of birth or death certificates or building licence or plan approval.

Tax hike fear allayed

Mr. Malavaran also allayed fears of a tax hike when the members referred to the survey of properties in the city.

The Congress member, `Colony' R. Venkatachalam, pointed out that actually it was the survey teams' checking of the tax books that triggered the fears.

To this, the Mayor emphatically said "I had already made it clear that there will be no tax hike". But he added: "Not for a year".

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