The Hindu 18.01.2011
Municipal authorities misusing public money: RTI Act Raksha Vedika
Spent Rs. 47.52 lakh to check mosquito meance in Karimnagar
The Karimnagar Municipal Corporation has spent a whopping Rs. 47.52 lakh to check the mosquito menace in Karimnagar by operating the two fogging machines for a period of 22 months from January 2009 to October 2010.
Ever since, there was an outbreak of dengue fever cases in the town two years ago, the Municipal Corporation authorities were informed to launch a special drive against the mosquito menace through fogging machines. It is surprising to note that in spite of operating the fogging machines, the mosquito menace is being continued in the town.
Sounds strange! But it is a fact. These startling revelations were unravelled by the Right to Information Act Raksha Vedika district unit which collected the information from the municipal authorities under the RTI Act.
The municipal authorities have stated that they had been spending around 150 litres of diesel per day for two fogging machines to travel in entire town and using 22.5 litres of chemicals to destroy the mosquitoes.
RTI Act Vedika honorary president N. Srinivas, president T. Rajamouli have stated that the municipal authorities statements on the usage of fogging machines were farce and swindled the public money by claiming that they were operating the machines regularly. Contrary to the municipal statements, they stated that the fogging machines were not operated at least once in a fortnight in any part of the town.
Demanding a high-level vigilance inquiry into the swindling of public money by the corporation in the name of operating fogging machines, the RTI Act Vedika leaders said that there would have been more scandals in other sanitation works in the corporation.
They urged the district Collector, who is the special officer, to at least rise to the occasion and correct the irregularities and provide proper sanitation and check mosquito menace in the town by regularly operating the fogging machines.
