The Hindu             21.10.2013

Karur municipality makes a quiet move to new office

L. Renganathan

Quiet moved the men and material at Karur municipality to the new building constructed on the existing campus sans fanfare. The unusual silence is attributed to the fact that the building was constructed and opened during the DMK regime by the then Deputy Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin.

The sprawling building constructed at a cost of more than Rs.1.5 crore was meant to replace the decades-old structure on the municipality campus that craved for space.

With the municipality expanded some years back to include areas that were once Inam Karur Municipality, Thanthoni Municipality, and Sanapiratti panchayat adjoining Gandhigram region of the town, the demand for additional space was always there.

The functions of the civic body too had expanded over the years to go far beyond providing potable water, clearing garbage, and laying roads.

During the previous DMK regime, efforts were taken to construct additional buildings on the present campus to accommodate more officers and material. Resources were pooled from various quarters and heads to give shape to the idea.

Finally the additional buildings came up and the facilities included council hall and office rooms. Mr.Stalin declared open the new facilities. But before the offices got shifted DMK was ousted from power and AIADMK came in resulting in the move being kept in abeyance.

The new facilities were gathering dust much to the chagrin of concerned citizens. However, the powers that be gave the green signal for the officials to move ahead and occupy the new building and promptly but quietly the officials shifted the files and furniture to the new building on the first day of the auspicious Tamil month Aippasi. Sources in the Karur Municipality indicated that the new building is short on space to accommodate personnel and material.

Plans are on the anvil to construct one more floor to provide additional shelter to the expanding army of officials.

The plans would be rolled out soon, they aver. Also, the council will meet, probably on October 25, in the new hall for the first time.

The Hindu                09.10.2013

Chief Minister’s nod for Rs. 490 cr UGD scheme

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has cleared the Corporation’s proposal for the second phase of underground drainage programme, costing about Rs. 490 crore, Mayor Vijila Sathyananth said.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone from Chennai soon after her meeting with Ms. Jayalalithaa at Fort St. George on Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Vijila said the Chief Minister had immediately cleared the Corporation’s proposal for executing the second phase of the underground drainage scheme to cover the hitherto left-out residential areas under the urban civic body. This would prevent pollution of the Tamirabharani River completely.

When the Mayor explained to the Chief Minister the problems being faced by the Corporation due to the 670 posts lying vacant for the past several years, Ms. Jayalalithaa immediately granted permission for filling up 374 critical and essential posts, including 100 posts of sanitary workers

“On our plea for creating a sprawling park and recreational point for the benefit of the public, the Chief Minister asked me to identify a land with an extent of 4 to 5 acres and to send a comprehensive estimate in this regard,” Ms. Vijila added.