The Hindu          16.03.2011

Regularisation of illegal water connections flayed

The Coimbatore Consumer Cause has come down heavily on the way local bodies regularising illegal water connections.

In a release, the organisation's secretary, K. Kathirmathiyon, has said the State Government by issuing Government Order (MS) 65, dated April 12, 2010, had permitted all town panchayats, municipalities and corporations to regularise unauthorised water collections by collecting two times the deposit amount as penalty.

This was most unfortunate as the Government should have taken strong action against such connections. It had instead provided amnesty for a paltry amount.

Earlier, in 2002, the GO (MS) 81, dated June 21, 2002, had permitted town panchayats and municipalities to regularise all illegal connections by accepting a penalty of Rs. 3,000 for each domestic connection and Rs. 5,000 for others.

Then it had stated that “severe action should be taken against those responsible for the illegal connections.” If any action, even though not severe, had been taken how could have the illegal connections existed from 2002 to 2010, Mr. Kathirmathiyon has asked.

The Government had already regularised illegal layouts, illegal constructions and now illegal water connections.