The Hindu             21.11.2013

Civic body likely to take over banners

Following the proposal sent by the Chennai Collectorate to transfer powers of permitting banners to Chennai Corporation, the civic body will send a proposal to amend the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act shortly. If the State government approves this proposal, residents may not have to get permission from the Chennai Collectorate for erecting such banners. The Corporation Commissioner will have powers to permit banners under the amended Act.

“Earlier, the power was with Corporation Commissioner. The Act was amended 10 years ago to transfer powers to Collector. Now, the State government has to take a decision,” said an official of Chennai Corporation.

The lack of manpower has been a hurdle for the Chennai Collectorate to regulate banners in the city. Under the existing procedure, the Collectorate in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur issued permission to erect temporary banners after no-objection certificates were issued by the Chennai Corporation and other government agencies.

The District Collectorate, with the assistance of the Chennai Corporation, had recently scaled up operations against hoardings and digital banners across the city. A drive to remove them in areas such as Egmore, Triplicane, Mylapore, Nungambakkam, Alandur and Sholinganallur were carried out a few weeks ago.

Officials from the taluk monitoring committees have also been stressing the need for criminal action against persons who erect banners illegally. Most of the illegal banners carry advertisements of private enterprises, including those of cinemas, food products, motor vehicles and jewellers.

A few months ago, the Madras High Court directed the collector to remove all illegal hoardings, digital banners, and take necessary action to penalise those who had contravened the rules and regulations under the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act.

The Hindu            20.11.2013 

Notice issued to 115 government offices over water tax dues

Staff Reporter

The officials of Nagercoil municipality have issued notice to as many as 115 Government offices for not paying water tax on Tuesday.

According to sources, there are around 33,665 tap connections in Nagercoil town. The water tax arrear was around Rs1.75 crore. Of that, 237 persons, including 115 government buildings, had a huge backlog as they had failed to remit water tax for the last 15 years.

The arrears for some of the defaulters range from Rs.1,000 to Rs.3 lakh.

Seeing no other options, the officials have started disconnecting the water connection in the government buildings.

They have disconnected seven connections and as others have sought times, they have been asked to remit the tax at the earliest.

The municipal officials said that in the first phase they have started disconnecting water connections in government buildings and in the second phase, house connections would be disconnected for not paying water tax.

For the benefit of the consumers additional counters have been opened to pay the water tax in the municipality. Even during Saturdays, the defaulters could remit the water tax.

Hence, the officials have appealed to the defaulters to make use of this opportunity and pay the taxes.

The municipal officials have also started taking stringent measures to collect property tax from houses, government buildings, commercial establishments etc.

It has come to light that property taxes are pending for as many as 78,877 buildings, including houses, shopping complexes and commercial establishments.

Arrears for some of the defaulters range from Rs.1,000 to Rs.3 lakh.