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Tamil Nadu News Papers

Drive soon to remove encroachments from lakes

Friday, 31 July 2009 04:26
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The Hindu 31.07.2009

Drive soon to remove encroachments from lakes

K. Lakshmi

Plan to complete the work early to prevent flooding

— Photo: S. R. Raghunathan

SHRINKING SPACE: Unauthorised structures on several waterbodies in and around Chennai will shortly be removed by the WRD. Picture shows a part of the Velachery Lake.

CHENNAI: The Water Resources Department (WRD), a wing of the Public Works Department, proposes to launch a drive by August-end to remove encroachments from eight lakes around the city.

Officials of the WRD said that two years ago, a drive was launched to rejuvenate 19 major waterbodies in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts under the Tank Protection and Encroachment Removal Act, 2007.

As part of the proposed initiative, enumeration of encroachments in the waterbodies was under way in association with the Revenue Department officials. Identification of lands to provide alternative sites to those evicted during the drive was also in progress.

Once these works were completed, the drive to clear encroachments would commence by next month-end or early September. The waterbodies to be restored include those in Kadaperi, Kolathur, Nemilichery, Velachery and Thiruninravur, an official said.

“We plan to complete as much work as possible before the onset of the monsoon to prevent flooding in the areas around the lakes,” the official added.

So far, encroachments have been cleared from nearly 10 waterbodies, including Ambattur, Korattur, Arapatheri, Kovilambakkam, Tambaram Puduthangal and Pallikaranai. Nearly 3,300 people in Tiruvallur district and 700 in Kancheepuram district, who were evicted from areas along the lakes, have been rehabilitated in various localities such as Morai, Perungulathur, Semmencheri and Sholinganallur, with the help of the Revenue Department, the official said.

On the delay in executing the work, the officials said it had to be suspended in many areas owing to residents’ protests and court proceedings.

Demarcation of the boundary of the waterbodies is being carried out now. The lakes are also being monitored to prevent new encroachments. Estimate has been sent to the State government to fence the vulnerable points in the foreshore area of the waterbodies.

There is also a proposal to plant palm trees along the boundary of the lakes as part of the beautification drive, the officials added.

Last Updated on Friday, 31 July 2009 04:30
 

Property tax hardly reflects rental, guideline value changes

Friday, 31 July 2009 04:19
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The Hindu 31.07.2009

Property tax hardly reflects rental, guideline value changes

A. Srivathsan

CHENNAI: A resident in Muthialpet in north Chennai pays more property tax than someone with a similar property in Velachery or Anna Nagar West Extension despite the market and rental values for his property being comparatively far less. Property tax is also the same for similar properties in Pudupet and Thiruvanmiyur.

While a residence in Muthialpet is charged Re.1 per square foot, the property in Velachery is charged only 80 paise as the basic rate for property tax.

Likewise, commercial properties in Kasturibhai Nagar and Indira Nagar pay the same property tax as the shops on Usman Road or Ranganthan Street in T.Nagar.

This anomaly exists because the annual rental value that forms the basis of the property tax is calculated based on the guideline value of properties that prevailed in 1993 and adjusted for 1998, the year in which the Chennai Corporation last revised its property tax.

Though the tax was due for revision in 2003, the Corporation decided against it.

In the last 11 years both the guideline values and the rental values have changed significantly and the current tax does not reflect either of them. Between 1998 and 2009, the Registration Department has revised the guideline value of the properties several times.

The low property tax rates are beginning to reflect on the financial health of the Chennai Corporation.

After paying Rs.123 crore as salary arrears as recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission and budgeting Rs.72 crore (annual figures) towards salary hike, the civic body is facing a financial crunch. The surplus in the revenue account in 2007-08 was Rs.72.54 crore and it has come down to Rs.3.94 crore in the current budget.

In addition, the debts incurred through Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) projects are beginning to mount. About Rs.1,000 crore has been sanctioned to the Chennai Corporation for various projects. Half of this comes as grants from State and Central governments and the Chennai Corporation has to mobilise the remaining amount. The government sources told The Hindu that bulk of Rs.500 crore has to be borrowed and the Corporation has to commit about Rs.40 crore per year over the next 20 years towards this borrowing.

The annual property tax collection is about Rs.350 crore and forms the bulk of the corporation’s revenue. Instead of revising the property tax that is long overdue and mobilising more revenue, the Chennai Corporation has revised only the professional tax. The upward revision of professional tax would only fetch about Rs.35 crore.

When contacted, Rajesh Lakhoni, Commissioner of the Corporation, said the Corporation was “focusing on collecting arrears and looking at under-assessed properties.” About Rs.383-core property tax arrears are yet to be collected .

Last Updated on Friday, 31 July 2009 04:25
 

Civic body gears up for monsoon blues

Thursday, 30 July 2009 12:09
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The New Indian Express 30.07.2009

Civic body gears up for monsoon blues

CHENNAI: A high-level meeting comprising various government departments will be held at the Ripon Buildings in the city soon to discuss the North-East monsoon strategy, Chennai Corporation Mayor M Subramanian said here on Wednesday.

Briefing reporters here, the Mayor said, “The objective of the meeting is to form a coordination committee among the Corporation departments and other government officials to chalk out better strategy to deal with the monsoon-related issues.”

Issues related to storm water drains, road repair, desilting of canals would be discussed in the meeting, the Mayor added.

When asked about the civic body’s preparedness for monsoon-related diseases, Subramanian said, “The health department has been asked to stay alert in the coming days and its staff would be ready across the city to prevent any epidemic break out.”

Spraying of larvicides and fumigation process will be intensified on the onset of north-East monsoon, Subramanian added.

 
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