CHENNAI : Not satisfied with the reply made by the Tiruvallur District Collector about the proposed construction of a bridge across the lake at Pazhaverkadu, the State Human Rights Commission has sought more details from the official.

In its reminder notice, a Bench of the Commission, headed by Chairperson Justice A. S. Venkatachalamoorthy, said the matter had been pending before the Commission for long for a report from the Collector. The Commission sought the report immediately. In October last, the SHRC took suo motu cognisance of a news report in a Tamil daily on how children travelled dangerously in overloaded boats. According to the news item, people of Lighthouse and Thangalperumpulam panchayats, including school children, travelled by boat to reach the mainland Pazhaverkadu.

The children were allowed to travel free of cost. Nearly 60 persons travelled in a boat.

The Commission ordered the Collector to look into the matter and report.

Not satisfied with the Collector's report, the Commission said it was submitted that the Government had already sanctioned Rs.10 crore for constructing a bridge across the Pulicat Lake on the Pulicat Lighthouse Kuppam Road under the "Tsunami Emergency Assistance Project" with an assistance of the Asian Development Bank and the work had been entrusted to the Divisional Engineer, Highways. The rights body said the project had been sanctioned as early as October 2005 and wanted to know whether the work had begun.

Similarly, on the proposal to the Director of School Education for upgrading the middle school at Goonankuppam as high school, the Commission asked whether the CEO, Tiruvallur, had sent the proposal and if not, why urgent steps had not been taken.

As no report was received from the Collector to this notice, the Commission has now sent a reminder notice.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail