The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Lampposts impede road development works

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 02, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Lampposts impede road development works

V.S. Palaniappan

Despite Government Order, confusion continues on who should bear shifting cost

A mighty PROBLEM: One of the many Electricity Board transformers on Tiruchi Road waiting to be shifted for widening road. Photo: M. Periasamy

COIMBATORE: Lampposts and transformers along the sides of arterial roads have been a stumbling block to widen or strengthen a number of roads in the city.

Hitherto, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) was bearing the cost of shifting these lampposts and transformers based on a Government Order dated December 18, 2001 and the same was subsequently kept in abeyance.

Owing to financial constraints, TNEB took a decision and unofficially asked agencies concerned (those asking for the shifting of poles) to bear the cost.

Work pace slow

In a few cases, when the Highways Department officials included the cost of shifting these poles in the project outlay, it drew audit objections. As a result, works progressed at a sluggish pace.

When the issue was taken up at road safety and traffic advisory committee meetings highways authorities came down heavily on the TNEB for erecting lampposts and transformers on their own.

The highways authorities pointed out that unmindful of the possibility of encroachments, the TNEB authorities started using the extreme sides of the roads (presuming it to be the road boundary) for erecting structures.

TNEB encroachment

Accusing TNEB authorities of having encroached upon their space, the Highways Department and the local bodies refused to bear the cost of shifting the poles.

The National Highways (ready with funds for widening the Tiruchi Road from Stock Exchange to Ondipudur) is awaiting State Government officials to resolve the issue.

The district administration wrote to the Energy Department to clarify on who should bear the cost. On February 23, the Energy Department issued a revised order GO MS no 7, which was in suppression of its earlier order.

As per the new GO, the State Government would foot the cost involved in shifting the poles on roads under the purview of NH. With regard to Corporation, Municipalities and Town Panchayats, the GO asked these agencies to bear the cost while TNEB came forward to footing the shifting cost for lampposts when the fund-starved local bodies such as panchayats took up road works.

But, the GO fails to throw adequate light on a few aspects. The Secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, K. Kathirmathiyon and the District level Traffic Advisory Committee have planned to write to the State Government asking it to clarify which department will bear the cost on behalf of the National Highways.

Clarifying ambiguities

Similarly, the GO has stated that Town Panchayats should bear the cost (but a number of town panchayats have already been upgraded as special panchayats). in such cases on whom should the bill for shifting costs should be raised.

Only when these ambiguities are clarified, could the highways authorities accelerate the pace of pending road-development works, Mr. Kathirmathiyon said.

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