The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : UPA observes fast, flays delay in civic works

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

UPA observes fast, flays delay in civic works

Staff Reporter

Protesters say subway in Pallavaram delayed because the municipality is yet to acquire land The parties also criticised the municipality for hiking the water tariff from Rs. 25.50 to Rs. 51 without prior notice

CHENNAI: Opposition parties of the United Progressive Alliance observed a day-long fast in Chromepet on Monday condemning the Government and the Pallavaram Municipality for the delay in implementing civic works in the suburban locality.

They said that the Government and the municipality did not cooperate with the Centre in executing projects. The pedestrian subway in Pallavaram was being delayed because the municipality was yet to acquire land and hand it over to the National Highways Authority of India.

The parties also criticised the municipality for hiking the water tariff from Rs. 25.50 to Rs. 51 without prior notice though the supply was dwindling.

They claimed that the municipal area received only 20 lakh litres a day with the supply reaching the residents only once a week. The Municipality had paid Rs. 1.5 crores to the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board for additional supply in 2003. Infrastructure was also developed but there was no additional supply.

The municipal area now has 11 overhead tanks and four sumps but they are never filled up fully.

They also said that the municipality did not inform the public about the hike. People came to know about it only when they went to make payments.

The party members said that a playground in Royapettai Periyar Thidal was usurped by an individual by using false records and the municipality did not take any steps to reclaim the land. The south Chennai Member of Parliament and Union Surface Transport Minister, T.R. Baalu, had provided Rs. 5 lakhs to construct a compound wall around the plot.

They also brought up the issue of the pollution of water bodies due to indiscriminate dumping of garbage.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Congress, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Pattali Makkal Katchi, the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) participated in the fast between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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