The Hindu 29.01.2010
Decision on uniform water tax deferred
Staff Reporter
| This will affect ongoing drinking water projects in Tirunelveli: Mayor |
— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen 
In protest: AIADMK members leaving the Corporation Council Hall in Tirunelveli on Thursday.
TIRUNELVELI: The Corporation, which has already started executing two major drinking water projects at a cost of Rs.22.86 crore, has decided to defer for at least for next six months its proposal to introduce uniform water tax of Rs.100 a month for each residential connection following the pressure exerted by councillors of various political parties.
“Since we’ve already started the work on executing two drinking water projects for the benefit of residents in wards 19, 26 and 27 and wards 8, 9 and 10 with huge borrowings, we have to repay the loan with interest... And hence we’ve to augment our revenue by introducing a uniform water tax of Rs.100 a month per connection. If you prefer to exert pressure on me and the administration for deferring the decision for the next six more months, work of the ongoing projects will be affected,” Mayor A.L. Subramanian warned the members in the council meeting held here on Thursday.
While the Corporation decided to charge a monthly tax of Rs.100 per domestic drinking water connection in the council meeting held on December 31, 2008, water tax for the corporate bodies was fixed as Rs.200 a month. However, the implementation of this decision was deferred to October 1, 2009.
“Now, you are deferring the implementation of this crucial decision which will certainly have telling effect on the ongoing (drinking water) projects... It is really bad,” said Mr. Subramanian.
Raising the issue of drinking water supply to the venue of DMK youth wing conference held in December 2007, AIADMK member Sudha K. Paramasivan alleged that the local body, which supplied drinking water to the Tirunelveli Medical College ground, the venue for the function, had failed to collect the actual amount, causing huge loss to the corporation.
Mr. Paramasivan also urged the Corporation to take steps to combat and check the menacingly spreading viral fever in several parts of the Corporation, particularly in Melapalayam. Responding to this, the Mayor said the Corporation’s entire conservancy workforce was mobilised at Melapalayam for a mass cleaning programme, in which over 250 tonnes of garbage was cleared within two days. “The cleaning operation and the anti-mosquito exercise will continue there,” he assured.
Councillor Abdul Wahab appealed to the Mayor to allocate a land at Pettai, which had been allotted for a slaughter house but remained unused for the past several years, for establishing a farmers’ market for the benefit of Pettai residents. Mr. Subramanian replied that the civic body would consider the proposal positively if the Agricultural Marketing Corporation approached the Corporation administration in this regard.
When a section of councillors alleged that some of their proposals for creating infrastructure facilities like roads, culverts, small bridges etc. were being turned down repeatedly, Executive Engineer Narayanan Nair said project proposals would be approved only if such plans fulfilled all 15 norms prescribed in the mandatory checklist. The council unanimously passes a resolution condoling the death of former West Bengal Chief Minister and veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu.
