Urban News

The Hindu 16.01.2010

Renovation of Kodambakkam bridge recommended

Deepa H Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI: The consultant appointed to study the structural stability of the nearly 50-year-old Kodambakkam bridge, has submitted its report to the Chennai Corporation.

The firm, which recommends that the bridge be renovated , said that the expansion joints and the bearings be replaced. The civic body had commissioned the study as it wanted to strengthen the facility. Due to constant wear and tear, iron rods are exposed in certain places on the 600-metre-long bridge.

During the study it was found that the expansion joints had weakened due to water seepage, which has to be arrested.

The Mumbai-based consultancy has said that the surface has to be relaid. It has said that during the repair works at least a portion of the construction beneath the bridge, which is a market, should be removed.

Using ultra sonic pulse velocity test it studied the homogeneity and integrity of the existing concrete. It also conducted core concrete sampling. The report has suggested several methods and chemicals that need be used in the strengthening.

Officials of the Chennai Corporation said that the report would be studied by its technical committee, which would decide on the methodology based on which the consultant would give a detailed estimate of the cost.

The Hindu 12.01.2010

Corporation to purchase 10 hand-held machines

Special Correspondent

VELLORE: The Vellore Corporation has decided to purchase 10 hand-held tax collection machines at a total cost of Rs.6 lakh in order to augment tax receipts and simplify tax payment and collection.

K.R. Selvaraj, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation, told The Hindu on Monday that out of the total tax demand for 2009-10, the Corporation had so far collected only 25 per cent. Previously, tax collectors went door to door and collected taxes. Later, the Corporation established five tax-collection centres in different parts of Vellore, including one at the Corporation office to collect the various taxes and issue computerised tax receipts. The public are remitting their property tax, profession tax and water tax at these centres.

Though this facilitated payment and collection of taxes, it did not help augment the receipts. Therefore, the Corporation decided to acquire handheld machines

Once the machines are ready, assessees need not go to the collection centres to pay their taxes since the tax collectors would themselves visit their homes and not only collect the taxes but also issue receipts on the spot.

The Commissioner said that an added feature of the handheld machines was that they were connected to the server in the Corporation office, and the moment a receipt is issued to an assessee in his house, the payment of tax would be recorded in the Corporation’s server.

Touchscreen kiosk

The Corporation also planned to install a touchscreen kiosk at a cost of Rs.3 lakh in the Corporation office, in order to enable the public to access all information about the services rendered by the Corporation, including the procedures to be followed for applying for a building licence, water connection and other services, information about the taxes due from the assessees, and information about the ongoing and future schemes of the Corporation.

The Corporation also planned to install a biometric machine at a cost of Rs.50,000 to record the attendance of the staff and the time of their reporting for duty.

This is expected to reduce the expenditure on buying attendance registers, besides ensuring punctuality among the staff and enable the officials to have details of the latecomers and absentees.

Resolution passed

The Corporation Council passed resolutions approving the purchase of the above machines at its meeting held last month.

The Corporation was taking steps to buy the handhld tax collection machines and install the touch-screen kiosk and biometric attendance-recording machine before the end of March.

All the machines would be acquired through the tender process, Mr. Selvaraj said.