The Hindu  15.12.2010

Move to hand over tenement construction to SCB opposed

Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE: Opposition Councillors in the Coimbatore Corporation on Tuesday staged a walkout against the decision to hand over to Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (SCB) the construction of tenements at Ukkadam.

The reason for their walkout was the first resolution the civic body tabled at the Council meeting.

The resolution, among other things, said the civic body would not be able to effectively oversee the construction of the apartments as it was burdened with other works under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

As soon as the resolution was read aloud, Opposition Councillors were up on their feet arguing how the Corporation could ask the Board to take up the construction of the flats as the latter had proved its incompetence in Ammankulam by building poor quality flats.

“The Board had demonstrated its capabilities by constructing tenements that sank a few months ago at Ammankulam. The same fate will await the Ukkadam tenements,” said P. Rajkumar, AIADMK councillor from Ward 71.