The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Post box removed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 03, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Post box removed

I refer to the letter, written by the Post Master General, Chennai City Region, in these columns of The Hindu, dated 26-11-07, regarding removal of post boxes.

He says “wherever requests are received from members of the public for installation of letter boxes, they are installed without delay.’

There was a letter box on Adam Street in Mylapore, which must have been as old as the Mylapore post-office.

But unfortunately, it has been removed. Several requests have been made by the members of the public to restore it. This box has served Adam Street, Nallappan Street, Andar Nainiappan Street, T.S.V. Koil Street, Mandaveli Lane and Mandaveli Street.

The residents of these areas would be immensely thankful to the PMG if he ordered reinstallation of this letter box.

S. Vaidyanathan,

Mylapore

Hike in property tax

The State Government has announced that there will be a hike in property tax in all Corporations, municipalities, third grade municipalities, and town panchayats, with effect from April, 2008.

It is welcome that the Government has not announced the hike with retrospective effect. The hike should be fair since it may reflect on the rent and thereby, the public may have to incur additional expenses.

Objections to the increase in tax should be heard fairly. The property tax demand card is thin and not durable. Tax booths should be given, which were provided in the past. Tax already paid is not properly accounted in the ledger and arrears notice is unnecessarily issued to confuse us.

Thanga Manoharan,

Valasarawakkam

Illicit sewage connections

The Corporation of Chennai has made provision of stormwater drains (SWD) for each and every street, incurring heavy budgetary allotments.

However, it is deplorable and unjustifiable to find that illicit sewage connections from various households have been given and the Corporation SWD authorities can’t plead ignorance of this abuse since various civic associations have drawn the attention of authorities, time and again, to this problem and written several articles on this menace in various newspapers including The Hindu.

Will the Corporation, at least now, wake up to put an end to this illicit practice?

K. Ramadoss

Ayanavaram

Pensioners’ plight

With reference to a letter published in these columns in The Hindu dated 26-11-2007, as a pensioner in mid-seventies, I would like to express my views on the subject.

In April every year, I have to go in person to the pension office on College Road, Nungambakkam, to get my life certificate and pension book signed in the presence of the people assigned for this purpose.

One knows the hassles that old pensioners like me face in the pension office. There is no place to sit and one has to wait for three or four hours at times. If, as Mr. Varadachari suggests, a form is issued by the pension office, sick and old pensioners like me can get the form endorsed and signed by a Gazetted Officer or a local doctor, we will be spared the ordeal of going to the pension office 10 km from where I live in Annanagar.

Either the bank manager can help, issuing forms for this purpose or the pension office will accept a life certificate from the bank manager himself. I draw my pension from the TNSC bank, Annanagar.

Will the authorities concerned look into this issue?

M.T. Sylvia Devotta

Annanagar

Diversion of domestic gas cylinders

Of late, there is a considerable delay in the supply of gas cylinders to the consumers. When the consumers approach the gas agencies, they are given a lot of evasive replies and false promises.

But it appears that there is a big network in place wherein a major junk of domestic cylinders are diverted to commercial establishments such as hotels, fast food joints, tea shops etc. with the connivance of the gas agencies, who make extra fast bucks in the process at the cost of the consumers.

Since a commercial cylinder costs more than Rs. 900, it is cheaper for commercial establishments to get a domestic cylinder at Rs. 289, of course paying extra to middlemen or delivery boys.

Even complaints made to the authorities concerned have not made any impact on them.

The oil companies’ authorities claim that they are taking strict action against the unscrupulous agencies. But when one sees rampant diversion, it only exposes their tall claims.

Several suggestions have been put forward to the oil companies to adopt colour code — green for domestic cylinders and red for commercial ones. It will help in checking the diversion as it will be easy even for a common man to spot the domestic cylinders being used in the commercial establishments.

P.V. Suresh Babu

Triplicane

Parking charges

This is to highlight the plight of train commuters using the cycle and scooter parking stands at the Tambaram Railway Station.

The charges, specified by Southern Railway, are as follows: For cycles: Re. 1 per day and Rs. 25 per month and for motorcycles Rs. 2 a day and Rs. 50 a month.

This information has been displayed by Southern Railway at the stands and on the sides of the overbridge pathway leading to the platforms.

But, for the past four years or so, the contractor has not been following the stipulations. Since November 2007, he is collecting Rs.75 for a cycle a month and Rs. 100 for a motorcycle a month. No receipt is given.

We took up the matter with the Station Manager and even lodged complaints over phone to the Southern Railway Office, Chennai. We have also sent complaints to the General Manager, Southern Railway, and even to the Railway Minister in this regard in the past two years. But nothing has happened.

L. Kalasekaran,

East Tambaram

Improving airport

I wish to draw the attention of the Civil Aviation Department, the National Highways Department and the Tamil Nadu Government to the following points since the airport is one important entry point to Chennai.

1. There is a tremendous increase in the passengers rushing in the midst of traffic to catch flights, that too, in the early morning. About 10 flights leave before 6 a.m. daily.

2. The Kathipara junction, where overbridge work is going on, needs more lights, better roads, good signals, and patrolling vehicles to help passengers reach the airport safely.

3. Between Kathipara and the airport, there are poor or no lights on the roads. Those going by car feel blinded by beaming lights from vehicles coming from the opposite direction. It will be worse during rainy days.

4. The entry point to the airport from both sides, opposite to the Trisulam station, needs illuminated and bright signals so that the passengers do not miss the location in urgency.

5. The extended new lounge, covering Dep. 1 and Dep. 2, needs supervision by a high-level airport official with his team to assist the passengers. Situation is same for the old lounge also.

6. There are friends and relatives accompanying the passengers. Public is not allowed to enter the domestic airport even by buying tickets. In the early hours of the day, we definitely need rest rooms, and there is no provision in the lounge, preferably nearer the counters. It could be constructed near the Indian Bank ATM.

7. There is no seating facility in the lounge. People use the plated pipes as seats. I happened to accompany my daughter and grandchild and we had to sit on the dusty and dirty floor to feed the child. Some chairs could be provided, as in the International Airport.

8. Can a facelift of global standards be given to this otherwise beautiful airport and make people travel more safely?

K. V. Swaminathan

Neelankarai

Clarification

The report, “Rain sees civic woes coming to the fore again”, published in The Hindu dated 21-11-07, said the residents of Singannan Street and Hanumantharayan Street near Waltax Road (Park Town) complained that they had been getting sewage mixed drinking water for three days.

It is informed that the pollution complaint was received on 18-11-2007 (Sunday) and attended on 19-11-2007. Now, the water supplied through pipeline is potable with adequate residual chlorine.

Public Relations Manager

Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board

Streetlights not burning

Several streetlights on Arunachalam Road in Saligramam (Division No-129) have not been burning for months together. Several representations made to the Assistant Divisional Engineer (Electricity), Kodambakkam, had evoked no response. The usual reply is that there is no stock of bulbs, chokes and other accessories. I appeal to the authorities concerned to rectify the non-burning lights earlier, considering the fact that the Arunachalam Road is the main bus route road where the flow of traffic is heavy.

C. Ramamoorthy

Saligramam

Noise, air pollutions

We, the residents of this once peaceful calm locality (MRC Nagar), are now being driven mad by the unceasing movement of vehicles carrying construction materials for building several high-rise structures coming up on the eastern and northern sides of our colony. These vehicles keep on plying throughout day and night with blaring air-horns, totally unmindful of the nuisance and disturbance caused to the children and the elderly alike, making us spend sleepless nights. Several appeals to the authorities by the residents have had no effect.

This is compounded by the pollution caused by the thousands of vehicles that pass through our streets in the daytime, to and from the nearby school.

We appeal to the authorities concerned to help us lead a peaceful and healthy life.

Dr. Capt.(Retd.) B.Biswakumar,

President, MRC Nagar Residents Association.

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