The Hindu      02.09.2016    

TN moving to second stage of Smart Cities plan: Venkaiah

EXCHANGE OF IDEAS:Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu flanked by Secretary for Higher Education in the Union HRD Ministry Vinay Sheel Oberoi (left) and IIT Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi at the Engineers Conclave 2016 in Chennai on Thursday.— PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN

Since Tamil Nadu “is one of the good performing States” the State is moving to the second stage of the Smart cities plan in the coming weeks, said Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday.

At the inauguration of the three-day engineers’ conclave at the Indian Institute of Technology–Madras, Mr. Naidu said his Ministry would release a list of 40 more cities selected for the programme by month-end. The Ministry is also expected to add more cities to the heritage city list.

Mr. Naidu said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had sought heritage status for Srirangam town, but refused to divulge details about which cities had made the cut to the smart cities list or to the heritage list.

He gave the example of Hyderabad, which, by digitising records, had increased its revenue from Rs. 765 crore to Rs.1,035 crore, without increasing taxes.

The 14th Planning Commission had approved Rs. 78,293 crore for 33 smart cities and this helped to incentivise performance of the cities. This year, good performers could expect Rs. 400 crore from the Central government, he added.

Mr. Naidu urged engineers to come up with novel ideas to rejuvenate cities, pointing out that lack of attention to infrastructure had led to flooding of Chennai, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Encroachment problem

“In Chennai, during my visit to flood-affected areas, everyone was talking about encroachments. The present and former Chief Ministers have come up with good, innovating housing schemes to relocate people living along the Cooum banks. As Urban Development Minister, I am concerned with the situation in all the cities. Engineers may come up with good plans, but if politicians do not implement them or if they do not remove the encroachment, no plan will succeed,” he said.

The Hindu       01.09.2016  

Gasifier crematorium: Corpn. terminates private firm’s contract

The City Municipal Corporation has terminated ed the contract given to a private company for establishing a modern gasifier crematorium at a cost of Rs. 1.50 crore at the burial ground in Erumapalayam, for failing to complete the work on time.

The crematorium was proposed to have modern facilities, including generators and sanitary complex and also place for performing rituals.

Under the Infrastructure Gap Filling Fund 2013-14, the subsidy from the government would be Rs. 1 crore while the civic body would contribute Rs. 50 lakh from its general fund.

Tenders were floated in January 3, 2014 for establishing the crematorium and the contract was awarded to the company in February 12, 2014.

The project was proposed to be completed in 190 days. However, only 30 per cent of the work was completed while no work was carried in the past two-and-half years.

With the Commissioner of Municipal Administration coming down heavily on Corporation officials for failing to monitor the work, the civic body through its four letters in 2014 and 2015 had asked the company to complete the work.

Also, since funds were sanctioned in 2013-14, the civic body should submit reports on projection completion and utilisation of funds. But the company in its letter dated December 7, 2015 had informed the Corporation that their industrial unit in Chennai suffered massive damage due to flood and they were not in a position to execute the project.

The company promised to start the work in May 2016, but failed.

Hence, the civic body decided to cancel the contract awarded to the company.

Corporation officials told The Hindu that the company’s security deposit would be forfeited for failing to complete the work as per the agreement.

They added that the project cost would be revised and re-tender would be floated soon.