Tamil Nadu News Papers

Places identified for banners

Thursday, 02 March 2017 05:25

The Hindu 02.03.2017

Places identified for banners

Local Administration Department to float tenders soon

The Local Administration Department will soon float tenders inviting bidders for display of banners and cutouts at designated places in Puducherry and Oulgaret municipalities. The Department has finalised the list of spaces and it has decided to use them to ensure optimal revenue for the cash-strapped municipalities.

“The Local Administration Department will have the powers to permit hoardings and banners at 20 designated spaces each within the jurisdiction of Puducherry and Oulgaret municipalities. The erection of banners will be controlled only to the designated spaces to protect the city’s aesthetics. The new set of regulations to erect banners and cut-outs would come into force from April 1,” Secretary to Local Administration Department P. Jawahar told The Hindu

The government has already tweaked the conditions laid down in the Puducherry Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement Act) 2009, in order to meet the demands from various corners and to bring some revenue to the cash-starved local bodies.

Ever since the ban was enforced, there have been allegations by the opposition parties that the municipalities were allowing the ruling party in the State to put up banners against the ban while removing ones erected by other parties.

The Act had envisaged a blanket ban on erection of banners, flex boards and hoardings. The municipalities are also crippled due to lack of revenue generation and flexibility in rules is expected to streamline and bring in additional revenue to the municipalities.

“The government has also revised the rates for display of banners, hoardings and cut-outs in the two municipal areas. The rates were last revised only in 1973 when the Puducherry Municipalities Act came into force. The revised rates have been fixed at Rs. 200 per square metre,” Mr. Jawahar said.

The designated spaces will be tendered out for a specific period.

Corporation to promote solar energy in a big way

Thursday, 02 March 2017 05:19

The Hindu 02.03.2017

Corporation to promote solar energy in a big way

Green power:Solar panels installed atop the ‘Anna Maaligai’ in Madurai Corporation buildings to generate power for its consumption.Photo: G. MoorthyG_Moorthy

Every month, the civic body saved almost 50 % in the power bill as each kW capacity of solar panel generated 3 to 4 units

The civic body that has installed 44 kW capacity solar panels atop the roof of Anna Maaligai, its office, at a cost of Rs 55 lakh in 2016, a first-of-its-kind in Tamil Nadu, is reaping the benefits now handsomely.

In the last 10 months, its power bill has come down steeply. Every month, the Corporation saved almost 50 % in power bill as each kW capacity of solar panel generated 3 to 4 units of electricity, said Commissioner Sandeep Nanduri.

Following the success, it has now planned to identify similar buildings for installation of solar panels.

Speaking to The Hindu, he said that the Corporation had around 350 buildings, big and small. “We have chosen 156 among them for installing solar panels. Proposals to establish solar panels with a capacity of 466 kW is ready,” he added.

Buildings with good space to install solar panels and collect sun rays without dilution have been identified for the purpose.

“With peak summer setting in the next 100 to 150 days, the demand for electricity is bound to go up. Thus, by generating our own electricity, power bills will decline and result in savings for the civic body. Above all, switching over to alternative power generation will encourage residents also to opt for green energy,” Corporation officials and senior engineers in charge of installing solar panels said.

“Maternity homes, schools, tax collection centres and overhead water tanks of the Corporation are some of the buildings to benefit from solar panel installations,” Assistant Executive Engineer Senthil said and noted that with many people coming into solar panel trade, installation and procurement of panels would be cheaper now than the 2016 levels.

Maternity home staff in Sellur said that the proposal to install solar panel on the premises was welcome as the in-patients would have uninterrupted power when TANGEDCO shutdown electricity for maintenance work. Similar views were echoed by staff at the computerised tax collection centres, where solar panels will give steady supply without interruptions.

Billing cycle

The Anna Maaligai, which used to get a bill of Rs. 1.47 lakh per month, has been getting power bills for around Rs. 75000 a month in the last 10 months. As for the maintenance of solar panels, the officials said the cost was negligible.

Presently, the Corporation consumes the power generated from its solar panels at Anna Maaligai, while it has planned to explore the possibility of inviting bidders to sell surplus electricity through power purchase agreement.

First in State

Among the 12 Corporations in the State, Madurai Corporation was the first to go the solar way, officials said. A commendable and noteworthy project indeed.

Shopping complex demolished for bus terminus at Vadavalli

Thursday, 02 March 2017 05:18

The Hindu 02.03.2017

Shopping complex demolished for bus terminus at Vadavalli

Corporation workers removing goods from shops that are part of its shopping complex at Vadavalli in the city on Wednesday.HANDOUT_E_MAIL

Shopkeepers allege that the Corporation had not given them adequate time to vacate

The civic body on Wednesday removed a shopping complex at Vadavalli amidst opposition by occupants.

Officials from the Town Planning wing demolished the complex that belonged to the Corporation. They said that the complex with eight shops - four on the ground and four on the first floors - stood on the pathway of the proposed bus terminus.

The Corporation needed a 50 feet width pathway on the southern side - Marudhamalai Road - to facilitate the entry and exit of buses to the proposed terminus. The shopping complex ate away nearly 25 feet and so had to be removed. The officials also said that the Corporation had already demolished around 10 private shops on the south eastern side of the proposed terminus and also an old public toilet. The civic body had proposed construction of the terminus on 2.02 acre at Vadavalli, north of the existing terminus, with adequate passenger facilities. The shopkeepers in the complex alleged that the Corporation had not given them adequate time to vacate the premises. It had not issued notices to vacate and thereby had not followed the due process of law.

An occupant said that he had paid the rent in advance - till March. Now with the Corporation forcing him to vacate, he wanted to know the fate of the money he had paid. Officials said that the Corporation did serve the notice 15 days ago but they refused to take it. The civic body had followed the procedures and there was nothing much for the shopkeepers to complain about.

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