The Times of India            05.08.2013

AMMA scheme to be extended into long-term project

MADURAI: The city corporation has proposed to extend its short-term project 'AMMAThittam' - AzhagiaMaduraiMaanagar (Beautiful Madurai City Scheme) as a round-the-year annual project. The corporation had sought an approval from the council to allocate Rs 1.60 crore to implement the project. The proposal was placed during the council meeting recently. However, the opposition parties questioned the fund allocation stating that the corporation is using its revenue on it instead of seeking the government fund.

The corporation launched the scheme in the month of March. Under this scheme, every ward was allocated one day schedule to clear the garbage; cleaning the sand accumulated on the roads; maintenance of underground drains, street lights, parks, bore wells and hand pumps; planting of trees; removing stray animals like dogs, pigs and cattle in the city areas; mosquito control measures and sanitation works. By concentrating on each ward in the four zones per day, the corporation planned to carry out these works in all the wards in 25 working days. As a one-time expenditure for the scheme, the corporation had set aside Rs 2 crore to carry out the works.

Placing the proposal, mayor V V Rajan Chellappa said they have decided to make it a round-the-year project since it was successfully implemented and gained lot of public appreciation. The 200 workers - 50 each for four zones - who were deployed on a temporary basis will continue in their roles working along with regular sanitary staff. Corporation commissioner, zone chairmen, councillors and officials will supervise the works carried out under the scheme, he said. As the annual expenditure, the corporation proposed Rs 35 lakh per zone as the recurring expenditure as salary to the workers and another Rs 5 lakh on sanitation and equipment. Altogether Rs 1.60 crore will be spent on the project to cover the entire city limits.

Meanwhile, the opposition party members questioned the logic behind the expenses. M L Raj, DMK floor leader said, "It appears the ruling AIADMK tries to win the goodwill of chief minister by spending the corporation money and the works under AMMA scheme are also not satisfactory." CPM councillor, M Chellam also seconded the opinion. "They have promised to plant 50 tree saplings in our Villapuram ward but planted just three. The works are not carried out in true spirit," she rued. The ruling AIADMK councillors hardly debate on the resolutions passed in the council and this extension should have been discussed in the council, she said. "The AIADMK councillors do not even allow us to sit for the council meetings and evict us with whatever mean they can," Raj stated.