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Tamil Nadu News Papers

Bill extending planning nod validity passed

Saturday, 25 March 2017 07:19
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The Hindu        25.03.2017  

Bill extending planning nod validity passed

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday passed a Bill in the State Legislative Assembly to amend the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, with a view to extending the validity of planning permission from three years to five years.

The amendment was brought in after the government came to know that “difficulties are experienced by the persons carrying out large-scale development activities like special economic zones, information technology parks, malls and townships in implementing them within the prescribed period of three years.”

Resource crunch

Non-availability of men and material, among other reasons, led to delay in the execution of projects, the government said.


“The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has also requested to extend the validity period of planning permission from three years to five years,” the government said.

Hence, the government passed the amendment to the Act, which, in 1971, fixed the validity period of planning permission at three years.

The amendment to Section 50 comes into force immediately.

The government also passed a Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2003, to maintain “the fiscal management targets set out by extending the time limit for fiscal deficit consequent to the State government’s debt takeover of Tangedco under UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana)”.

 

Sewage let into water bodies

Friday, 24 March 2017 07:20
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The Hindu        24.03.2017

Sewage let into water bodies

A tanker lorry operated by Tirupur Corporation discharging sewage and other liquid refuses into Mannarai irrigation tank.R. VIMAL KUMAR  

The lorries are supposed to dump it at treatment plant at Periyapalayam

The corporation authorities who are bound to take steps to protect the health of citizens could be seen setting wrong examples by way of indiscriminate discharge of sewage and other liquid refuses collected from different parts of the city into various water bodies.

According to City Health Officer K. Boopathy, the sewage and other liquid refuses collected through the corporation tanker lorries should be taken to the treatment plant set up at Periyapalayam.

But corporation-operated lorries could be seen dumping sewage into River Noyyal and irrigation tanks resulting in protests from citizens.

On World Water Day, this reporter caught on camera a corporation-operated lorry letting out sewage into Mannarai irrigation tank. When the driver and another person who travelled on the vehicle saw photographs being taken, they immediately sped away the vehicle.

Discharge of sewage into the Mannarai tank, and nearby water bodies had evoked strong protests from residents in the area on previous occasions.

A corporation official said that the administration had never given any instructions to dump sewage in public places.

Action sought

N. Shanmugasundaram, president of Nallur Consumer Welfare Association, said that the corporation should then take action against errant lorry drivers immediately if senior officials were not responsible for the sewage discharge into water bodies.

 

Rs. 976 cr. to be spent to tide over drought

Thursday, 23 March 2017 11:54
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The Hindu        23.03.2017 

Rs. 976 cr. to be spent to tide over drought

In dire straits:Failure of monsoon has resulted in rainfall shortage of 65 per centFile photo  

Situation unprecedented, government taking measures on war footing, says Minister

Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister S.P. Velumani on Wednesday told the Assembly that the State was witnessing the worst drought in 140 years and the government was implementing schemes at a cost of Rs. 976 crore to tide over the crisis in both rural and urban areas.

Replying to a calling attention motion, the Minister said failure of monsoon had resulted in rainfall shortage of 65%. “The government is taking steps on war footing to tackle the situation. The schemes include digging of borewells, installation of electric and hand pumps and plastic tanks, supply of water through lorries, replacing old motors,” he said.

Mr. Velumani said Chennai used to receive 830 million litres of water per day and the failure of monsoon and drop in Krishna water inflow had created an alarming situation.

“Now, the city gets an average of 550 million litres a day from lakes, desalination plants, Veeranam scheme, newly included groundwater resources, Poondi and Thamaraipakkam wells,” he said.

Relief works at a cost of Rs. 100 crore were being implemented to overcome the crisis which would be of immense help, especially in May when the lakes around Chennai go dry.

In rural areas, drought relief works are being executed at a cost of Rs. 703.43 crore. “Drinking water projects have been given priority and the grants from State and Central Planning Commissions and other sources to the tune of Rs. 818.25 crore had been released to panchayats,” he said.

Mr. Velumani said Rs. 15 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund had been released to maintain water supply and another Rs. 300 crore from THAI scheme had been used to desilt small canals, renovation of tanks and development of infrastructure of water bodies.

Pointing out that town panchayats had not faced any crisis till March, the Minister said a total of 3,595 drought relief works were being executed at a cost of Rs. 46.41 crore in town panchayats.

 
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