Urban News

Source : The Hindu Date : 23.06.2009

Puducherry plans to raise certificate charges

Serena Josephine M.

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Municipality plans to revise the rates for issuing various certificates.

The proposal, which was aimed at improving the municipality’s revenue, would be sent to the government for approval.

In the proposal, the municipality has enlisted revised rates for 21 certificates including issue of full extract of birth, death and marriage, family book, small extract for marriage, no opposition certificate for marriage, marriage under French code civil, declaration of marriage, name inclusion after one year, change in names and inclusion of names.

“The rates for the certificates, which are being collected now, were fixed in 2005. The revision will slightly improve the municipality’s revenue. We will be able to get additional revenue through revision of certificate rates,” Assistant Commissioner of Puducherry Municipality, P. Seetharaman, said.

Before 2005, Rs.25 was collected for issuing full extract of birth, while the existing charge was Rs.50.

The proposed revision for this certificate would be Rs.100. Similarly, for certificates of marriages conducted under the French code civil, the existing rate was Rs.500, while the proposed rate would be Rs. 1,000.

“Before 1979, full extract of birth and death were issued including numerous details. But later, the details were reduced and thus emerged small extracts for various certificates.

We issue computerised certificates for the small extracts and hand-written copies for full extracts,” he said.

The decision for revising the certificate rates was placed before the council meeting.

However, it would come into effect only with the government’s approval, Mr. Seetharaman added. “If approved, then a Government Order would be issued to revise the rates of all 21 certificates,” he said.

Source : The Hindu Date : 23.06.2009

Houseboats get the blame for lake pollution

Staff Reporter

NO POLLUTING: Houseboats on the backwaters of Alappuzha in this file photo.

ALAPPUZHA: Every time there is a public outcry on pollution of water-bodies in Kuttanad, particularly the Vembanad Lake, the 600-odd houseboats operating in the region are among the first to be blamed.

However, a close look at the ground reality reveals that though there is no denying the role of the houseboats in pollution, there are a few others too who have an indirect but definite share of the blame.

It is a well-known fact that only around 100 of the 600-plus houseboats operating in the Vembanad Lake and the surrounding canals and rivers have valid Pollution Control Certificates (PCC) since they have onboard sewage treatment facilities.

The rest, who should have registered themselves with Government sewage treatment plants for obtaining the PCC, have not been able to do so since the treatment plant at Alappuzha is still on paper.

Though this has been repeatedly raised at several public platforms by environmentalists and various other quarters, calling for speedy completion of the treatment plant at Punnamada in Alappuzha, work is yet to begin on the plant.

There have been no takers for the tenders issued by the District Tourism Promotion Council for the project that was sanctioned more than two years back, according to official sources.

Interestingly, the delay in the establishment of the sewage plant has not stopped houseboat owners from paying the requisite fee for the PCC to the local Pollution Control Board office, or the officials from receiving the fees.

“It is not our fault that the Government has failed to set up the plant. We have paid the fees, it is up to them to complete the plant and register us,” reasons a houseboat owner here.

The fee receipt is brandished whenever the PCC is asked for.

The case of the canal licence, which along with the PCC and a fitness certificate, is necessary for houseboats to conduct operations, is similar.

The PCC is mandatory for the canal licence to be issued. But here too, officials have received the requisite fee for the canal licence, reasoning that houseboat owners have paid for the PCC and are waiting for completion of the treatment plant to obtain it.

“It all boils down to the delay in setting up the treatment plant. Once that is done, there can be stringent action on those operating without the PCC. Till then, it is a case of mutual understanding,” an official explains.