The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Reader's Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 04, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reader's Mail

Mobile phone bills

Customers of the BSNL cellular mobile service have to pay their bills in respect of Tiruvallur Town and its suburbs at CSR Centre Telephone Exchange in Tiruvallur only. As there are more than 20,000 cell phone holders, much difficulty is experienced every month in payment at a single centre. Hence the authorities concerned are requested to authorise the nationalised banks besides post offices at Tiruvallur town to collect the payment and ease the problem.

N.B.S. Manian,
Secretary Residents Welfare Association,
Manavalanagar-602002

Frequent power cuts

For the past 2 to 3 weeks, the power goes off many times in a day. Sometimes, the power failure lasts up to 3 or 4 hours, greatly inconveniencing the consumers/general public. Very often, there come official announcements "that there will be no power cut during the summer months. But there seems to be "an unannounced power cut," since the power is switched off very often (i.e. 3 or 4 times in a day) stating some reason or other. When the adults themselves find it very difficult to manage without power, the plight of newborn babies, infants and toddlers may be well imagined.

The continuous spell of hot weather amidst a few showers aggravates the situation. People who have bought air conditioners to escape the oppressive heat of summer find they cannot operate them. In view of these problems, I request the Electricity Department authorities to ensure continuous and uninterrupted power supply to Nanganallur and Madipakkam residents.

D. Natarajan,

Nanganallur

Honestly, why the delay?

A theft happened in my house on May 1998 and a First Information Report (FIR) was filed and the Adyar Police took fingerprints. They even identified the burglar. But nothing happened for seven years, although we were asked to pay some money to trace the burglar. Then suddenly in the month of January 2005 the police got hold of the burglar, "Nellikuppam Radhakrishnan," and we were asked to come to the police station (several others too, to identify our jewellery). Then one day we were asked to come to the Commissioner's office and photographs were taken and a news item was published with the statement `that the property was restored'. But we were asked to go to the court and file a case, paying the lawyer Rs. 3000. The police have to pay for the appraiser and others. Finally our jewellery was given to us in March 2005. But we were told not to do anything with that jewellery till the case is over. We are now settled down in a senior citizens complex in Coimbatore. Even after one year and 4 months we heard that the case is not over. I cannot understand what is there to prove when the thief himself admitted to the crimesand showed the police places from where he took the things. As senior citizens we are finding it difficult to go through this. We want to sell and use the money for our medical expenses.

Mrs. Kokila Ramakrishnan,

Saidapet

Too much traffic

Srinivasa Avenue Road in R.A. Puram connects Kamaraj Salai with Ramakrishna Mutt Road. A cluster of residential apartments, slum clearance board tenements, My Flower Gardens (consisting of 132 flats) and a few prominent educational institutions are located in this area. The small road handles a considerable volume of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, including school children.

For the past few years, vehicles of all type going from Alwarpet through C.P. Ramaswamy road and bound for Adyar, are diverted through this road, to proceed (via) the Adyar Bridge. The difficulty experienced by the residents, especially the senior citizens and children, on account of the diversion, has to be seen to be believed. Construction of raised platforms on both sides of the road and the haphazard parking of vehicles on the road have shrunk the space available for the use of the public. Vibration is felt in the apartments whenever heavy vehicles pass through the road. The absence of proper speed-breakers adds to the misery.

Srinivasa Avenue road is not at all suitable to handle traffic of the present volume and therefore, there is a strong case for withdrawal of the diversion, which we request the authorities concerned to consider.

P. H. Krishnamurthy,

R.A. Puram

Lights that do not work

I wish to draw the attention of the Corporation Authorities towards the fact that many of the street lights in Jeth Nagar area of Raja Annamalaipuram have not been functioning for the past few months.

Not a day passes without an accident at the junction of Vinayagam Street (the main exit for Mandaveli Station) and Jeth Nagar First Main Road. Erection of speed breakers will limit this to some extent.

T. R. Swaminathan,

R.A. Puram

Poor bus services

Residents of Dasarathapuram, Devaraja Nagar and other adjoining areas like Nehru Nagar, Majid Nagar etc. of North Saligramam, find it extremely difficult to go to Mylapore as there is no direct bus service to from Dasarathapuram bus terminus; even the existing cut service on route No. 12-B, which was previously plying from Dasarathapuram to Fore-shore Estate, has been withdrawn suddenly for reasons best known to the authorities concerned. The student community is the worst affected as they are not able to reach their educational institutions like `Meenakshi College, Ramakrishna Mission School etc. which are situated en-route, in time; May I request the MTC authorities to restore at least the withdrawn service on route No. 12-B immediately, which will go a long way in redressing the grievances of the residents of North Saligramam.

C. Ramamoorthy,
President
Saligramam North Residents' Welfare Assn.,
Saligramam

Church Road in bad shape

The Church Road in Mogappair East is in horrible shape. The road is replete with craters, potholes, deep pits and heaps of dug-up earth, making it unmotorable and even unwalkable. As if the condition of the road is not enough, the road has lampposts without lamps (tubelights/ neon lights). Commuting on the road by night is a Herculean task. Also, lorries, trucks and vans share the road space. Church Road could be renamed Ditch Road! The authorities concerned are requested to arrange for re-laying the Church Road in Mogappair East.

K. Pradeep,

Mogappair

Pollution hazard on Bharathi Salai

The other day I happened to pass through the Bharathi Salai in Ramapuram leading to SRM Dental College/ Deemed University and other colleges in SRM group. The condition of the road for the entire stretch of one to two km is quite awful: it is hazardous and virtually unmotorable. The environment around the vicinity is appalling. There are many primary schools besides the prestigious SRM group of colleges in this stretch. The entire stretch of the road is full of potholes and craters. The children and the students have to undergo an ordeal every day to reach their schools and colleges on this bumpy road. The situation is worse during rainy days. I am really dismayed as to how the SRM management, which runs fleet of buses through this stretch, is oblivious to the poor sanitary and infrastructural milieu. As if this is not enough, I saw an open garbage yard, which emanates foul smell with spillage strewn across the road adjacent to the Deemed University compound wall. Toxic fumes also emanate from the burnt garbage. Also, there is an open cremation ground just opposite of the college where the corpses are burnt even during the morning hours.

It is quite paradoxical for one to see such a sight in the City when we keep trumpeting about a greener Chennai and boasting of development of IT Corridors and the like. I wish the civic and the local administration wake up to this situation and do something about it. The SRM group can also partake in this noble task as its social and civic commitment towards its wards and to the society at large and help transform the zone into a salubrious landmark.

V. Ganesh,

Saidapet

Neglected subway

Every day thousands of people and particularly office-goers during the peak hours have to use the subway located between Greams Road and Whites Road junction at Anna Salai and Thousand lights because this is the only public facility available at this very place to cross the road over Anna Salai. But, unfortunately, this subway has been neglected for the past few years. It is used as a public latrine and sometimes is used to dump garbage by vendors of the market located adjacent to the subway. The walls and floors are ugly, the concrete slabs erected on the underground water tank are in dilapidated condition with water seepage during rainy seasons quite common in this subway. Apart from this, the available space is occupied by street vendors and beggars. I hope that at least, on seeing this mail, this matter would draw the attention of the Local Administration Minister M. K. Stalin and of course, the Corporation authorities to take action to ensure that the subway is properly maintained on a permanent basis after the renovation, which is badly needed.

P. Sankaran,

Chitlapakkam

Kudos to an officer

On August 24, I went to the Civil Supplies Department, Saidapet Zone Office to apply for a new Ration Card. Hundreds of people, poor, rich, middle class, high ranking officials serving/ retired, and others were all congregated there.

I witnessed, due to overcrowding and long queues many had lost their patience, tempers flared and there was shouting and heated arguments resulting in chaos. I felt that the Assistant Commissioner could have sought the help of police to regulate the crowd. But to my surprise, in spite of the greatest provocation, the official handled the situation wonderfully with remarkable patience and tolerance.

The staff acted swiftly and disposed each application in record time. I congratulate the Assistant Commissioner and his dedicated staff for their excellent service and co-operation.

V. R. Sundaram,

Saidapet West

Why not buses from other places?

People residing between Tambaram and Nanganallur, who have to go to various places like Kaveripak, Wallajahpet, Ranipet, Arcot, Vellore and beyond have to get to Koyambedu to catch the required bus or wait at Guindy circle (Kathipara Jn) to board the same. It means an extra journey of more than an hour. The buses at Guindy are full and no sitting accommodation is available, especially for the aged.

I feel that the following suggestion may be considered. Out of the many services operated on the Madras-Bangalore High Road, and run between Madras and Vellore/Arni a few — say one-third or one-fourth of the entire number may be operated from Tambaram and run via Chromepet, Pallavaram, Meenambakkam and join the usual route from Guindy Circle, via Porur.

This will be very much appreciated by the travelling public.

M. S. Visveswaran,

T.G. Nagar

IOC curbs on LPG supply

The directive of the Indian Oil Corporation to dealers to supply refills to consumers only after 21 days entails great hardship to big families. The 14.2 kg refill may last 30 days for a small family but suffices hardly for 15 days for a big family. This is the main reason for households having multiple connections in the names of relatives. The supply should be made after 15 days.

Any ban on multiple connections will result in big families facing cooking gas shortage. Besides reducing the supply time to 15 days, the IOC should introduce a regularisation scheme for multiple connections, which was announced in the press by way of advertisement a few months ago, but not implemented.

S. Ananth,

Chennai

Restoration of bus route 27C

Route 27C buses plying between Tiruverkadu and T.Nagar via Chinmaya Nagar and Virugambakkam were diverted owing to the repair work undertaken during the rainy season in October 2005. Now the entire stretch of road has been repaired. However the 27C buses continue to take the diverted route in spite of repeated appeals.

School going children and office goers from Chinmaya Nagar and Virugambakkam areas going to Nerkundram and Maduravoyal are put to great hardship due to this diversion. I appeal to the transport authorities to restore the original route of 27C.

U. Namasivayam,

Nerkundram

Poondi as a picnic spot

It was interesting to read the news item "Major Tourism Plan for Tamil Nadu" in your edition of August 29, 2006 in which the State Tourism Minister Shri N. Suresh Rajan has listed plans for Ooty, Kodai, Madurai, Thanjavur, Kanyakumari and Vellore.

After many years, we recently visited Poondi Dam and were shocked to see the condition of the place, which used to be a favourite shooting spot during MGR's film era. The gardens were not maintained and there was not even a decent restaurant. In addition, the monkey menace was too much.

Poondi could be converted into a good picnic spot as it is not very far from Chennai.

Rajan George,

Avadi

What about the genuine consumers?

This is with reference to the news item "No more refills for multiple connections" ( The Hindu , August 24), according to which IOC has instructed their distributors to release only one domestic gas connection (restricting the supply of refills for a minimum period of 21 days) against each ration card. While we can appreciate the good intention of the oil company to prevent diversion of subsidised domestic gas for other purposes, it should be ensured that genuine domestic consumers are not inconvenienced by implementation of the above system.

One connection of domestic gas as proposed above by IOC may be sufficient for a small family. But there are still some joint families with married sons and their families living with their parents at the same residence. These families are having only one ration card and the cooking gas supplied as per the above norms will not be sufficient for the whole family. Hence before implementing the above scheme either separate ration cards should be issued to the married sons living with their parents in the same address or the number of connections should be increased for existing ration cardholders in proportion to the size of the families. Till such time the status quo should continue.

T. S. Kalyanaraman,

Chennai

Streamline dispensaries

It is often said the C.G.H.S. dispensaries do not come forward to woo their beneficiaries in terms of offering good services, as also the limited stocks of quality medicines and poor treatment meted out. The dispensaries are yet to properly cater for the Central Government employees, who are stationed well within the city limits.

To cite an example, Virugambakkam, though it falls under city limits, and the Central Government staffers in this area cannot capitalise on the facilities for which they are eligible, leaving them in the lurch. It is a matter of great concern that the authorities have still not streamlined the system.

V. Rajagopal,

Virugambakkam

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