The Hindu 05.11.2009

8 urban PHCs likely to come up

Special Correspondent

VELLORE: Urban Primary Health Centres (PHCs) on the pattern of rural PHCs are likely to come up in four municipalities in Vellore district. They include Arakkonam, Walajapet, Ranipet and Arcot in Vellore Health Unit District. Four more are likely to come up at Gudiyatham, Ambur, Vaniyambadi and Tirupattur in Tirupattur Health Unit District.

This is based on the decision of the State government to set up urban PHCs in municipalities having a population of less than one lakh.

Urban Health Posts (UHPs) are functioning in municipalities having a population of more than one lakh.

According to an official of the Health Department, the UHPs were sanctioned for major municipalities under India Population Project-5.

Thanks to these UHPs, health infrastructure of major municipalities (having a population of more than one lakh) was good, whereas it was poor in municipalities having a population of less than one lakh.

Therefore, the government decided to set up urban PHCs in all municipalities having a population of less than one lakh in Tamil Nadu.

Announcement

An announcement was made by Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam in the Assembly.

K.S.T. Suresh, Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS), Vellore, told The Hindu that the office of the DDHS has submitted a proposal for setting up urban PHCs in Arakkonam, Walajapet, Ranipet and Arcot. These urban PHCs, to be set up under the funds provided through the National Rural Health Mission, would follow the same staff pattern as the rural PHC - a medical officer, a staff nurse, a pharmacist, an auxiliary nursing midwife, a laboratory technician, a hospital worker and three contractual nurses.

Premkumar, DDHS, Tirupattur, said that while no proposal has been sent by his office, urban PHCs are expected to be set up in Tirupattur, Ambur, Vaniyambadi and Gudiyatham municipalities, based on the government’s norm for urban PHCs.

The official government order is awaited for the establishment, he said.

The Hindu 05.11.2009

Work on Rs.17.80-crore water project begins

Staff Reporter

— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen

Grand start: Mayor A.L. Subramanian, left, and Deputy Mayor K. Muthuramalingam attending the bhoomi puja for the construction of an overhead tank in Tirunelveli on Wednesday.

TIRUNELVELI: The construction of overhead tanks for the new drinking water scheme for wards 19, 26 and 27, to be executed at the cost of Rs.17.80 crore before the next Assembly election, commenced on Wednesday with Mayor A.L. Subramanian performing the formal ‘bhumi puja’.

Following repeated representations from the Corporation to the Ministry of Local Administration on the need for having a separate drinking water scheme for wards 19, 26 and 27, green signal was given in 2005 itself to prepare a project report for ward 27 at a cost of Rs. 4.50 crore. However, the scheme was later expanded to benefit wards 19 and 26 also and consequently the project cost escalated to Rs.17.80 crore.

After Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin laid the foundation stone for this project during his recent visit to the district, a team of officials and councillors, led by the Mayor, laid the stone for the new drinking water project in the ‘bhumi puja’ held at Perumalpuram amidst mild drizzle on Wednesday morning.

The Corporation has planned to construct seven overhead tanks at Ezhil Nagar (3 lakh litre), Thamizh Nagar (2 lakh litre), Teachers’ Colony (2 lakh litre), Thirumal Nagar (3 lakh litre), Perumalpuram (4 lakh litre), Canara Bank Colony (2 lakh litre) and Kumaresan Nagar (3 lakh litre) and a ground-level sump with a capacity of 2 lakh will be constructed at Tuckerammalpuram.

“Since water from the 9 infiltration wells to be sunk in Tamirabharani at Suththamalli will be collected in this ground-level reservoir and then pumped to the overhead tanks, the distribution of water will be smooth and effective,” said Executive Engineer Narayanan Nair.

Deputy Mayor K. Muthuramalingam, Commissioner K. Baskaran, councillor of ward 27 R. Rajakumari and corporation officials participated in the ‘bhumi puja’.