The New Indian Express 13.01.2010
Corporation just not the child-friendly sort
CHENNAI: Is the Chennai Corporation not child-friendly? That’s the question that comes to mind when you read a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report. The children of the city don’t appear to be high on the Corporation’s agenda. The Chennai City Municipal Corporation procured only 53,363 bottles of Vitamin A solution and 2.18 crore folic acid tablets against the requirement of 84,100 bottles of the solution and 10.52 crore tablets (small), according to a CAG report.
The result was that because of the failure to procure iron and folic acid tablets to the extent of 79 per cent, 12 health posts did not have stocks of these tablets for more than three years, five health posts for more than two years and one for over a year during the review period in the test checked zones, the report said.
Under the Family Welfare Programme, all children from six months to three years of age must be given 100 tablets of iron and folic acid (small) per year and two doses of vitamin A solution once in six months every year in order to prevent various deficiencies including anaemia, the report said.
“The government in its reply has stated that 55.2 lakh iron and folic acid tablets were procured during 2003-08. The reply is incorrect as the point raised was only with reference to short procurement of the tablets (small), whereas the quantity stated to have been procured included iron and folic acid (large) tablets,” the report said.
Corporation failed to get TNPCB nod to dispose bio-medical waste
THE Chennai Corporation violated norms by failing to get the permission of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) in disposing of biomedical wastes, according to a Comptroller and Auditor General of India report.
As per Rule 8 of Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, all health care units must obtain authorisation from TNPCB for disposal of bio-medical waste and to install necessary treatment facility as suggested by TNPCB.
“It was noticed that the biomedical wastes generated from the health posts and maternity hospitals were disinfected and disposed of as munici pal waste, the report revealed.
Bio-medical waste generated in Communicable Diseases Hospital (1,600 kg per annum), TB clinic and dispensaries were disposed of either by deep burial or by open burning thus causing environmental pollution,” the report stated.
