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

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Monday, Mar 05, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reader's Mail

TNEB thanked for prompt action

I made a complaint to the TNEB authorities and Valasarawakkam Municipality to replace the electric posts nos. 1 & 7 at Muralikrishna Main Road. The authorities concerned reacted promptly and new posts have been installed, thereby preventing danger to the public. The TNEB authorities replaced five posts, acting on my request, and I convey my sincere thanks to TNEB and Municipality for their prompt action.

T. Manoharan
Valasarawakkam

LPG supplies and ration cards

Gas dealers are these days insisting on the production of ration cards, or no ration card certificates. Many people, including bachelors, who have passports or PAN cards, do not have ration cards. Under the circumstances, the ration card criterion for getting LPG cylinders is not a citizen-friendly step. The authorities should enlarge the criteria, to cover savings bank passbooks, passports, PAN cards etc for supplying cylinders.

S. Mohanavelu
Indira Nagar

Additional counters needed

Chromepet is one of the fastest developing suburban areas. Many educational institutions, banks, hotels, nursing homes, industries and residential apartments have come up here. Because of the availability of many amenities and facilities at Chromepet, many people especially the senior citizens are migrating to the area. Most of the senior citizens and pensioners have their Savings A/c at Chromepet Post Office. However, when they visit the post office for withdrawals or for depositing money, they have to wait a minimum of one and half hours in the queue. This is because,there is only one counter, which is not enough to handle the rush. Further, there is also not enough space for customers. Also, authorized agents are debarred from helping the account holders for withdrawal or to stand witness. Will the Postmaster General redress the above grievances of the senior citizens by opening additional counters?

V. Santhanam,
Chennai-44

More EMU services required

Hundreds of commuters travel daily from Tiruvellore to Chengalpattu. Hence, there is need for direct EMU services from Tiruvellore to Chengalpattu via Chennai Beach. The Railways should take into account the growth of professional colleges and industries in these sectors, and consequent increase in the number of commuters moving in both directions. They should think of introducing one EMU service at 6 a.m. from Tiruvellore and one service from Chengalpattu in the morning to Tiruvellore, and one service in evening at 6 p.m. in the reverse direction to enable commuters to reach home.

T. Gunaseelan,
Ambattur

Road must be widened

The bus stop hitherto at the Roundtana in Manavalanagar Town has been now shifted in front of Indian Overseas Bank on Poonamallee High Road. Besides the regular customers and pensioners to the said bank, scores of commuters board buses bound for Chennai at the new bus stop, thus blocking the free passage of pedestrians. Apart from this, the Sub-Registrar's office, just a stone's throw away from the bank, also draws hundreds of visitors. Both sides of the road have become parking lot for vans, cars, and two wheelers congesting the area and creating traffic jams. The authorities are requested to widen the road further to match the width and breadth of the river over bridge nearby.

N.B.S. Manian,
Manavalanagar

No property tax books

For the past six months, it appears that the Chennai City Corporation has not been functioning. There is no tax collection and the reason appears to be frequent election work and non-issue of property tax books (the existing books have lapsed and there are no pages for making fresh entries). The road works have also stopped, and maintenance of public parks, playgrounds has been neglected; garbage is being dumped indiscriminately, worsening the mosquito menace. The authorities have been collecting property tax for the past 14 years, but for the past 6 months no tax collection has been done in Senthil Nagar for want of property tax books. The Council needs to act on the matter quickly.

G. Abyvarghese
President,
Senthil Nagar Youth &
Res.Welfare Assn.,

VVIP treatment for city road

I shifted from New Delhi to Chennai in the first week of February '07 and rented a house in Chromepet near MIT.

I was appalled to see the condition of the road leading to my residence, but as luck would have it the President decided to visit his alma mater, MIT, and was to take the approach road to my residence.

Lo and behold, the road was metalled overnight! How everyone wishes that VVIPs visit various localities occasionally, so that the amenities are created.

S.R. Koushik
Chromepet

Congested street in Adyar

Traffic on the First cross street, Gandhinagar, Adyar is becoming chaotic and noisy. Elderly people find it extremely difficult to walk on the small and narrow road. There are blatant encroachments by shopkeepers. Fruits and vegetable vendors occupy a major portion of this street.

Apart from this, two-wheelers are parked in a haphazard manner making even walking on the margins difficult. The situation is worse in the evenings and on festival days in the temples nearby.

I hope the authorities take immediate steps to decongest this street.

K. Ramaswamy,
Adyar

Rejoinder

This is with reference to the item, which appeared in The Hindu on 19-2-07 in the Reader's Column given by C. N. Madhava Rao of Chennai about the provision of adequate staff to Nanganallur South Post Office. I carried out a surprise visit to the Nanganallur South Post Office at 10.30 a.m. on the same day and saw only two members of public in the Post office to carry out transactions. Moreover, the workload of the office does not justify provision of additional manpower. It is worth mentioning that the Nanganallur Post Office is functioning at a distance of just 1.5 km.

N.V. Vedi
Sr. Superintendent

Post office closure

The Chamiers Road Post Office was closed all of a sudden on the afternoon of 10th February 2007, without any prior intimation to customers and depositors. Through a public notice pasted near the locked gate of the Post Office, they were directed to contact the Post Master, Teynampet Post Office, Chennai - 600 018 for further transactions. Many senior citizens and a significant number of middle class people opted for monthly savings scheme and senior citizens savings schemes in the post office in 2004 - 2005 when fixed deposit interest rates in the nationalised bank went down to six percent per annum in 2004-2005.

As an octogenarian I wish to state that transfer of transactions from Chamiers Post Office to Teynampet Post Office is causing great physical inconvenience to the senior citizens of Nandanam and nearby areas, apart from the added expenses in commuting to the Teynampet Post Office for transacting even small matters, such as buying postage materials. Relocation of the Chamiers Road Post Office by seeking alternate accommodation on Chamiers Road itself or in a nearby locality will be of great help to senior citizens of Nandanam and surrounding areas.

Dr. M.S. Jayaraman,
Nandanam.

Why accidents happen

Making helmets compulsory is a commendable step. But helmets will reduce/prevent major injury to a two-wheeler rider, only if they are in an accident. But there are many more reasons for the occurrence of accidents that are left unattended by the authorities. Many accidents happen at night, which is mainly because of dazzling headlights and poor road lighting. Most cars don't have a bull's eye painted on their headlights, nor do drivers bother to dip the light. This should be made mandatory and the rule enforced strictly. The officials of Electricity Department must be made accountable for non-functioning of road lights. Likewise, there must be a stipulation for height, breadth and colour of speed breakers, which will reduce accidents considerably. The ban on blaring horns should be strictly enforced. Also, silt and rubbish must be cleared immediately without allowing them to hinder traffic flow and to prevent accidents. The individual/department must be held responsible if any accident occurs because of the accumulation of rubbish, silt or sand on road.

These problems should be attended to, if authorities really want to reduce the number of accidents.

S. Sekar,
Manali New Town

Electronic signals required

Of late, vehicle movement has intensified on Arcot Road, and medians are only helping the automobiles go faster between Valasaravakkam bus stop and Alwarthirunagar bus stop. In view of this, pedestrians are finding it very difficult to cross the road. Police personnel are there to help the pedestrians to cross the road for a limited period of time only. In my view, if electronic signals are installed near Valasaravakkam bus stop, Kesavardhini bus stop and Alwarthirunagar bus stop, it will allow pedestrians to cross the road easily.

C.Y.N. Murthy
Valasaravakkam

Tax for pensioners

Government pensioners are getting their pension arrears as a lump sum for the last 2 months and more for a total period of 18 years commencing from 1-6-1988. These pensioners were poorly paid at their time of retirement 18 years before. The Tamil Nadu Government was pleased to issue recently a G.O. No. 579 dated 15-9-06 through which these pensioners are now getting the arrears by virtue of raising their low pensions. A few of the pensioners are able to get this lump sum as arrears up to Rs. 2 lakh and in some cases Rs. 3 lakh for which they are facing heavy Income Tax deductions as the eligible limit is only Rs. 1.85 lakh at present. Considering the plight and mental agony of these aged pensioners we request the Finance Minister to raise exemption limit to Rs. 3 lakh for pensioners aged 75 and above as a special case.

D. Dasaratharaman,

President, Tamil Nadu Public Health
Retired Officials Association

Bus stop needed

Buses route No. 27D ply between Villivakkam and Foreshore Estate, which is the oldest bus route in the City. This bus does not stop at Santhi Theatre stop on Mount Road while coming from Villivakkam. But while coming from Foreshore Estate, it stops at Dams Road near Tarapore Tower.

The commuters who are working in Central, State, Public and private offices and in the electronic markets located in and around Anna Statue find it difficult to walk all the way from LIC bus stop to reach their offices.

I request the MTC authorities to take necessary steps to stop the bus at Santhi Theatre Bus Stop for the convenience of the public. Some of the drivers stop the bus at Santhi Theatre Bus Stop. As limited route buses halt at the above bus stop the stopping of Route No.27D will not create any inconvenience to the free flow of traffic in Anna Salai.

D. Vijayakumar
Chromepet

Streetlights obscured by trees

Of course, "Grow more trees" is the UN sponsored slogan to aid conservation. In this regard, Anna Nagar is not lagging behind other areas in growing more trees. One can see thousands of trees in and around Anna Nagar. However, in Anna Nagar, Avenue and other trees have grown taller than the lampposts in almost all colonies. These trees are actually blocking and overshadowing the streetlights. This results in poor lighting in the streets at night. In some streets, there is almost complete darkness in spite of streetlights. It would be good if the Corporation of Chennai removes branches of trees, which block out streetlights.

V. Nagasundaram
Exnora Club of Anna Nagar

Good work

Recently, I left at 6-30 p.m. in a car from Thiru.Vika Nagar to Egmore R.S. to catch the Ananthapuri Express. I came via Melponnapatti road. At Ganesapuram my vehicle was diverted to Vyasarpadi side by a traffic police officer. No traffic was allowed in the Ganesapuram Railway subway. I thought I had no hope of catching the train. But because of the fine regulation of the traffic police at Vyasarpadi subway and Basin Bridge, I was able to cross the subway and pass Basin Bridge railway station and catch the train. I was very impressed with their efficient work.

A. Jayakrishnan
Sivakasi

Public toilet

Annanagar Western Extension Post Office is functioning from the first floor of a shopping complex in Anna Nagar Western Extension. There is a common toilet provided near the staircase on the ground floor. A separate toilet is available for the use of the postal staff on the first floor. The common toilet is meant for the shopping complex. However the toilet is not maintained properly by the TNHB and it stinks.

Although the public toilet is not meant for the use of the post office, the Executive Engineer & Administrative Officer, TNHB, Annanagar Division have been asked to maintain the toilet properly, in the interest of postal customers. Meanwhile, we are planning a new building on vacant land nearby to house the Post Office.

Thomas Lourduraj,
Sr. Superintendent of POs.,
Chennai City North Division,
Chennai.

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