The Hindu 04.04.2013
Commercial complexes sought to boost Corporation revenue
“Overhead tank of 5 lakh or 10 lakh-litre capacity needed in Kosapet area”
Heads of various zones of the Vellore Corporation have
requested the civic body to construct commercial shopping complexes in
different wards to augment revenue of the local body.
Participating
in a pre-budget discussion during a meeting of zone chairmen, standing
committee chairpersons and various party chiefs of the Corporation
Council convened by P. Karthiyayini, Mayor of Vellore at the Corporation
office here on Wednesday, Kumar, chairman of Zone-3 wanted the zonal
office, functioning in the Old Corporation Building, to be renovated and
a commercial complex constructed on the same premises. Sunil Kumar,
chairman of Zone-1 wanted the Corporation to construct commercial
complexes in the Corporation land opposite Tata Motors on
Cuddalore-Chittoor National Highway, opposite the Don Bosco Higher
Secondary School in Gandhinagar, at Kangeyanallur Road and near the VIT
University.
A.P.L. Sundaram, chairman of Zone-2,
wanted a shopping complex built on the vacant land opposite the
Collectorate on Arcot Road in Sathuvachari, and shops constructed in the
vacant space available on the road between the Integrated Courts
Complex and the Aavin office, in V.O.C. Nagar and Om Sakthi Nagar.
Mr.
Sunil Kumar wanted the Corporation to release Rs. 50 lakh from the
general funds to each zone every month to make payments to contractors
who undertook various works. At present, Zone-1 did not have sufficient
funds even to make a payment of Rs. one lakh, he said. The Mayor pointed
out that the Corporation has sent a proposal to the government seeking
special grants for undertaking development works in the added areas of
the Corporation. The general funds could be utilised for development
works in the existing areas of the Corporation.
The
Commissioner of Municipal Administration has promised to sanction funds
to the tune of a maximum of 50 per cent of the estimates, she said.
Janaki Ravindran, Commissioner of the Corporation, said that the
government would sanction funds only for works relating to the
conversion of mud roads into tar roads in the added areas. Mr. Kumar
said that the park in Sastrinagar needed to be maintained properly.
Encroachments on the park should be removed. Encroachments in the
Palavansathu lake too should be removed, he said. The Commissioner said
that there were 138 encroachments on the Palavansathu lake which
measured 25.34 acres.
Earlier during a discussion on
the water problem in Vellore Corporation, Mr. Kumar urged the
Corporation to construct an overhead tank having a capacity of five lakh
litres or 10 lakh litres in Kosapet area, lying in the heart of
Vellore. At present, the densely populated Kosapet area is dependent for
its water supply on the OHT on Filter Bed Road or Sankaranpalayam. But,
water supplied from these tanks does not cover all the areas in
Kosapet. Renugopal, councillor representing Allapuram, wanted the
Corporation to sink at least four new borewells in his ward which was
suffering from acute water scarcity. His ward has got only one borewell
under the Vellore MLA’s Constituency Development Fund, he said. Ramesh,
councillor of Kangeyanallur area, wanted the Corporation to construct
OHTs of bigger capacity in Kangeyanallur in order to ensure sufficient
water supply to the residents. At present, it had only a one lakh-litre
OHT, he said.
