The Hindu 04.04.2013
Commercial complexes sought to boost Corporation revenue
“Overhead tank of 5 lakh or 10 lakh-litre capacity needed in Kosapet area”
Heads of various zones of the Vellore Corporation have requested the civic body to construct commercial shopping complexes in different wards to augment revenue of the local body.
Participating in a pre-budget discussion during a meeting of zone chairmen, standing committee chairpersons and various party chiefs of the Corporation Council convened by P. Karthiyayini, Mayor of Vellore at the Corporation office here on Wednesday, Kumar, chairman of Zone-3 wanted the zonal office, functioning in the Old Corporation Building, to be renovated and a commercial complex constructed on the same premises. Sunil Kumar, chairman of Zone-1 wanted the Corporation to construct commercial complexes in the Corporation land opposite Tata Motors on Cuddalore-Chittoor National Highway, opposite the Don Bosco Higher Secondary School in Gandhinagar, at Kangeyanallur Road and near the VIT University.
A.P.L. Sundaram, chairman of Zone-2, wanted a shopping complex built on the vacant land opposite the Collectorate on Arcot Road in Sathuvachari, and shops constructed in the vacant space available on the road between the Integrated Courts Complex and the Aavin office, in V.O.C. Nagar and Om Sakthi Nagar.
Mr. Sunil Kumar wanted the Corporation to release Rs. 50 lakh from the general funds to each zone every month to make payments to contractors who undertook various works. At present, Zone-1 did not have sufficient funds even to make a payment of Rs. one lakh, he said. The Mayor pointed out that the Corporation has sent a proposal to the government seeking special grants for undertaking development works in the added areas of the Corporation. The general funds could be utilised for development works in the existing areas of the Corporation.
The Commissioner of Municipal Administration has promised to sanction funds to the tune of a maximum of 50 per cent of the estimates, she said. Janaki Ravindran, Commissioner of the Corporation, said that the government would sanction funds only for works relating to the conversion of mud roads into tar roads in the added areas. Mr. Kumar said that the park in Sastrinagar needed to be maintained properly. Encroachments on the park should be removed. Encroachments in the Palavansathu lake too should be removed, he said. The Commissioner said that there were 138 encroachments on the Palavansathu lake which measured 25.34 acres.
Earlier during a discussion on the water problem in Vellore Corporation, Mr. Kumar urged the Corporation to construct an overhead tank having a capacity of five lakh litres or 10 lakh litres in Kosapet area, lying in the heart of Vellore. At present, the densely populated Kosapet area is dependent for its water supply on the OHT on Filter Bed Road or Sankaranpalayam. But, water supplied from these tanks does not cover all the areas in Kosapet. Renugopal, councillor representing Allapuram, wanted the Corporation to sink at least four new borewells in his ward which was suffering from acute water scarcity. His ward has got only one borewell under the Vellore MLA’s Constituency Development Fund, he said. Ramesh, councillor of Kangeyanallur area, wanted the Corporation to construct OHTs of bigger capacity in Kangeyanallur in order to ensure sufficient water supply to the residents. At present, it had only a one lakh-litre OHT, he said.
