TAMBARAM : The Pallavaram Municipal Council has protested what it termed as ``exorbitant'' charges sought by the National Highways Authority of India and the State Highways Department for digging roads belonging to the two agencies for laying underground sewer lines in the local body. The council, however, gave its consent for the project's revised cost that has increased by more than Rs. seven crore.

At a meeting on Friday, councillors were told that as part of the project, land belonging to the NHAI, the Highways Department and adjacent local bodies had to be dug up to lay sewer lines. In the estimates prepared for the project, Rs. 31 lakh was earmarked as payment to the NHAI and the Highways Department.

Cost variations

However, the municipality was told to pay the NHAI Rs. 1.78 crore and the Highways Department Rs. 60 lakh. When the councillors sought a clarification, officials replied that 3.2 km of roads on the NHAI land had to be dug up and hence the local body had to pay the amount.

Councillor complaints

S. Narasimhan, councillor of ward No. 40, said private telephone companies were charged only Rs. 5,000 for every km of road dug up for laying cables in the municipality. And charging the local body Rs. 1.78 crore for digging just the 3.2-km road was not fair. V. Santhanam, councillor of ward No. 36, said the municipality could not afford to pay the agencies heftily and only the amount fixed in preparation of estimates should be paid.

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