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Tamil Nadu News Papers

Government move to hire ex-staff draws flak

Thursday, 31 December 2009 07:28
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The New Indian Express 31.12.2009

Government move to hire ex-staff draws flak

Express News Service

 

CHENNAI: The State government’s move to appoint retired government servants and employees of quasi government organisations on contract basis in government departments that are facing dearth of hands at various levels, on Wednesday drew flak various from political parties and trade unions.

However, official sources said the appointments would be made only if there was sufficient reason to believe that work would be affected because of dearth of employees in the department concerned.

PMK founder S Ramadoss said the government order (GO) issued for appointing retired government employees on contract basis would directly affect 62 lakh youth whose names have been registered on the employment exchanges for job opportunities. Stating that there were more than two lakh vacancies in the Secretariat and other government departments, Ramadoss said filling them up through employees on contract basis would be improper.

Besides, at a time when recruitment of employees on contract basis in private organisations was being criticised, the move of the government in this direction would set a wrong precedent. He urged the government to withdraw the order immediately.

CPM State secretary N Varadharajan too strongly condemned the government move and said this would put a question mark on the future of the unemployed youth in the State.

M Pichaiappa, president, Tamil Nadu government employees union, said that the order would affect the promotion opportunities of the existing employees and would, in due course, demoralise the employees.

DYFI secretary S Kannan said the federation would launch a series of agitations until the government withdraws the order. The first phase of the agitation would be held in Chennai on January 7 in front of the office the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission.

Last Updated on Thursday, 31 December 2009 07:32
 

Panel to look into Greater Chennai plan

Thursday, 31 December 2009 06:05
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The Times of India 31.12.2009

Panel to look into Greater Chennai plan

Julie Mariappan, TNN 31 December 2009, 03:49am IST

CHENNAI: Moves to expand Chennai city’s limits from the existing 174 sqkm to 426 sqkm will be kick-started right away by the administration. he Chennai Corporation’s council, which is meeting on Thursday, will discuss the appointment of a high-level committee, headed by a special officer, to oversee the redrawing of the city’s map. The panel will be tasked with studying procedural and infrastructure requirements to carry out the expansion. Extending the jurisdiction of utilities, such as the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, to cover new areas in the suburbs would also be on the committee’s agenda.

“The members of the team will be notified in the council. Their recommendations will be sent to the government in six months, so that the redrawn city comes into effect in October 2011 when the next local body elections are scheduled,” said an official.
In all, areas under nine municipalities, eight town panchayats and 25 village panchayats in neighbouring Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts are to be merged with the present city to create ‘Greater Chennai’.

According to sources, the Corporation is likely to redraw boundaries of all the existing civic wards and zones, besides adding more in the outlying areas, as part of the expansion plan. Currently, the size of the wards varies widely, some spanning barely 10 streets and others twice that. Redrawing of the boundaries would be aimed at ensuring more uniformity. According to sources, the number of wards is likely to go up from 155 to 175 at the end of the exercise, with a population of 40,000 to 50,000 in each.
 

Salem Corporation draws flak for irregularities in building plan approvals

Thursday, 31 December 2009 04:54
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The Hindu 31.12.2009

Salem Corporation draws flak for irregularities in building plan approvals

Staff Reporter

SALEM: The Salem Corporation’s failure to prevent the encroachments on its lands and the continuing irregularities in the building plan approvals came under sharp criticism at the council meeting held here on Wednesday.

Councillors, cutting across party affiliations, complained that a few influential persons had occupied Corporation’s lands in several parts of the city. “The issue was raised a number of times in the previous council meetings. Officials continue to ignore the issue,” Congress Councillor Dharmalingam accused.

DMK Councillor K.S. Palanisamy said that the persons who had taken shops in the Corporation’s commercial complexes had carried out alterations. A few persons had taken two or three shops and demolished the walls separating them.

“These activities could not have happened without the knowledge of the civic officials,” he charged.

Many councillors pointed out that the owners of the layouts in the city were not following the rules regarding open space reservation. A number of irregularities related to town planning were being committed regularly and the Corporation was yet to initiate any fruitful action.

Councillors also criticised the Corporation for not taking steps to appoint an Executive Engineer in the Town Planning Section. The section functions without an Executive Engineer for more than a year, they pointed out.

Participating in the meeting, Panamarathupatti MLA Rajendran urged the Corporation officials to speed up the improvement works taken out in the Rajavaikkal, a major water carrying channel in the city.

Last Updated on Thursday, 31 December 2009 04:55
 
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