The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Pallavaram sewer project cost hiked again

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Monday, Mar 05, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Pallavaram sewer project cost hiked again

Staff Reporter

Councillors give consent to revised estimate

TAMBARAM : Councillors of Pallavaram Municipality recently gave their consent to the revised cost of Rs. 61.3 crore for the underground drainage project currently under way in the local body. This amount is nearly twice the initial project estimate.

Councillors, however, wondered how the Municipality would meet the additional expenses for the project.

During a meeting of the council, the elected representatives were informed that the administrative sanction for the project was Rs. 36 crore in 2000-2001. When the work started in January last year, revised estimates put it at Rs. 52 crore.

The project cost was to be met with financial assistance of Rs. 32 crore from Tamil Nadu Urban and Infrastructure Services Limited and Rs. 15 crore as contribution from residents; the balance was to be shared with Tambaram Municipality for linking their main sewers with the sewage treatment plant, officials said.

The revised estimates was due to road cutting charges in land belonging to other government agencies and local bodies, and the cost incurred for re-routing sewer lines. Councillors were also reminded that the revised estimate could increase when work on the long-pending pumping stations commence.

In other developments, Municipal Chairman E. Karunanidhi pointed out that even after increasing the monthly water charges to Rs. 50, the local body would still be short of funds to pay for the water. He informed the council that by collecting Rs. 25 from each assessee and by allocating 5 per cent from property tax towards water charges, they were receiving Rs. 87.37 lakh a year, whereas they spent Rs. 1.83 crore towards maintenance, power supply and payment to the government for water supplied to the local body.

The new charges would yield a collection of Rs. 1.2 crore from the 10,500 assessees who had individual water connections. Even then, they would face a deficit of Rs. 74 lakh, considering the expenses incurred in getting Palar drinking water, Mr. Karunanidhi said.

S. Narasimhan, CPI(M) councillor, said the local body should stop collecting water charges arrears for three years between 2002 and 2005, as the State was reeling under acute water scarcity and residents of Pallavaram were supplied far less than their needs. Mr. Karunanidhi also announced that work on basic amenities, at an estimated cost of Rs. 14 crore, would commence Thursday to coincide with the birthday celebrations of Local Administration Minister M.K.Stalin.

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