The Hindu 29.10.2010
Heated debate at Salem council meeting over poor sanitation
SALEM: Poor sanitation and land grabbing were the issues that invited a heated debate at the Salem Corporation's Council meeting on Thursday.
The councillors beyond party lines showed a rare solidarity charging that the private firm SRP, which has been employed by the civic body to outsource the garbage removal and drainage cleaning in 22 wards, had not done satisfactory work. “The Corporation should stop payment this month for the firm, which has not employed adequate staff to clean the garbage. Garbage heaps could be seen everywhere and the drainage cleaning, is very tardy,” Division Chairmen Asokan and Natesan, both belonging to DMK, claimed. Congress Councillor Jayaprakash pointed out that a portion of the land of the Corporation had been encroached upon in ward 9. He further claimed that the current value of the land was estimated to be around Rs. 9 crore. A few other councillors also endorsed his view by saying that many big business houses, hotels and others had illegally occupied Corporation lands at various places in the city.
They urged the Council to immediately take necessary action to retrieve these lands from these powerful few.
Dharmalingam from Congress accused the Health Department of the Corporation of inaction, which, he said, had led to serious erosion in the overall sanitary condition of the city.
The stray dogs and pigs had been roaming the streets with impudence while the Corporation authorities claimed that they had been taking steps to control them.
He also pointed out that in his ward the maternity home was kept under lock for a long time and the staff also had been transferred to other places.
