Urban News

The Hindu 29.03.2010

Air is thick with expectations of a better city

Deepa H Ramakrishnan

— Photo: S. S.KUMAR.

Long way to go: Under the JNNURM scheme, the Chennai Corporation proposes to take up desilting and strengthening of canals near T. Nagar in Chennai.

CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation's recent budget promised a basket of facilities for residents of the city. While optimistic residents eagerly look forward to a better city in terms of infrastructure, sceptics seem to feel that the announcements are populist catering for certain sections.

They probably have reason to say so. Last year, the Chennai Corporation budget promised several things for residents. A flyover at the Usman Road – Burkit Road Junction, a foot overbridge at Little Mount, construction of an auditorium in Mylapore, a multi-speciality hospital at Alwarpet and restoration of 320 pavements, were just some of the announcements. How many of them really came up?

Empty promises?

Residents such as Kothandaraman of Rangarajapuram pointed out that with the civic body unable to implement schemes announced in the previous years, this year's announcements of new dialysis centres and night shelter for homeless senior citizens among others might not materialise.

“The proposal for a flyover at Usman Road still remains on paper and the one at Thiruvanmiyur has been scrapped for want of funds. The lights on newly constructed flyovers do not burn and in many places the gyms run by the Corporation do not function. The state of roads is also bad. I think they make promises only not to keep them,” said Srividya, a resident of Thirumangalam.

When Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance and Taxation Radha Sambandan presented the budget for 2010-2011 recently, she said that the allocation for capital works would be nearly 20 per cent more than for the previous fiscal.

However, Saidai P.Ravi, Leader of Opposition in the Corporation Council, said that “there are no proposals for new flyovers this year, though there is a need for such facilities. They could have taken up a city-wide traffic study and implemented those suggestions to help ease vehicular movement. Nothing much has been done to control the mosquito menace.”

Property tax

For several years now the Corporation has not increased property tax rates saying that it would be an unpopular move. Even members of opposition parties have turned down the idea. K. P. Subramanian, urban engineer, said that though it was nice to read about a budget without an increase in property tax rates year after year, at least a marginal increase was necessary as otherwise the civic body would not be able to implement more projects.

“Tax payers would not mind paying a bit more if they get better facilities. Income and rental values have increased, but the Corporation does not seem to have the will to charge more,” he said.

Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni however said that funds were not a constraint for new projects. “There are enough flyovers in the city. We will be constructing new foot overbridges at six places and be strengthening existing bridges.”

However, sources in the civic body said that at the time of the proposed expansion of limits of the Corporation more funds would be needed for improving infrastructure in those areas. The civic body needs to take a loan of around Rs.400 crore for construction of stormwater drains and strengthening of 16 minor canals in the city under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

This would be a burden during the time of expansion, the sources said.

Meeting deadlines

Completion of schemes on time seems to be a major issue for the Corporation. It has not been able to complete schemes announced in the previous years. Due to various reasons the civic body has been extending project deadlines and giving new dates of inauguration for facilities including the Cochrane Basin Road-Kathivakkam High Road flyover, the Monegar Choultry subway and Ganesapuram flyover.

An official of the Corporation admitted that they would not be able to complete the SWD work under JNNURM, construction of proposed multi-level parking lots at Anna Nagar, Purasawalkam and Adyar by the next budget or by the end of the term of the present council.

“Even the Mint flyover cannot be completed by next October. As work would only begin in April and the required time for the project is 18 months,” he said.

Another worry for the civic body would be the continuation of the freebies including supply of mosquito nets for babies born in Corporation hospitals and distribution of geometry boxes and pencil boxes, uniforms, shoes and bags to students of the civic body schools.

Mayor M.Subramanian said that the construction of all flyovers would be completed as soon as possible. “We are speeding up the work. As for complaints about bad roads, this year we have an increased allocation for relaying roads. The ward member fund has been further increased by Rs.5 lakh so that they can concentrate on improving facilities in their area. One cannot term our schemes populist as we are providing for those who cannot afford health and education in the private sector, which is the duty of the government.”

(With inputs from Aloysius Xavier Lopez)

The Hindu 24.03.2010

Grade separators proposed on Anna Salai at Rs.500 crore

Staff Reporter

File Photo

The proposed grade separators are expected to facilitate smooth flow of traffic on Anna Salai.

CHENNAI: The State Government will construct grade separators at intersections on Anna Salai in the city, to ease traffic congestion, at a cost of Rs.500 crore utilising the resources of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), Finance Minister K.Anbazhagan said here on Friday.

Presenting the budget for 2010-2011, he said: “A comprehensive study conducted by the CMDA on transport scenario in the Chennai Metropolitan Area has recommended provision of various transportation facilities with an investment of Rs.88,200 crore.”

“In accordance with these recommendations, the government will consider augmenting the transport facilities in Chennai Metropolitan Area in the coming years,” he said. After the six laning of Rajiv Gandhi Salai, works for grade separators at its major junctions will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.171 crore. A sum of Rs.165 crore has been allocated for development of the Singaperumalkoil-Oragadam-Sriperumbudur Road.

On the Chennai Metro Rail Project, he said that the feasibility of extending the project to connect Tiruvottiyur was being studied. A provision of Rs.600 crore has been made in the budget as the share of Tamil Nadu government towards the Metro Rail Project, the Minister added.

Pointing to the fact that Tamil Nadu was the most urbanised State in the country in terms of the percentage of urban population, he said “The government has been implementing various schemes, recognising the need for providing infrastructural facilities commensurate with the increasing population in urban areas.”

The government is implementing two major desalination projects, at Minjur and Nemmeli. “A sewage treatment plant with 120 million litres per day capacity will be constructed at Koyambedu at a cost of Rs.130 crore in the coming financial year. Works for stormwater drains and flood protection in Chennai Corporation sanctioned at a cost of Rs.1,447 crore will be completed in three years,” Mr.Anbazhagan said.