The Hindu 18.01.2011
Municipal authorities misusing public money: RTI Act Raksha Vedika
Spent Rs. 47.52 lakh to check mosquito meance in Karimnagar
The Karimnagar Municipal Corporation has spent a whopping Rs. 47.52 lakh
to check the mosquito menace in Karimnagar by operating the two fogging
machines for a period of 22 months from January 2009 to October 2010.
Ever since, there was an outbreak of dengue fever cases
in the town two years ago, the Municipal Corporation authorities were
informed to launch a special drive against the mosquito menace through
fogging machines. It is surprising to note that in spite of operating
the fogging machines, the mosquito menace is being continued in the
town.
Sounds strange! But it is a fact. These startling
revelations were unravelled by the Right to Information Act Raksha
Vedika district unit which collected the information from the municipal
authorities under the RTI Act.
The municipal authorities have stated that they had been
spending around 150 litres of diesel per day for two fogging machines
to travel in entire town and using 22.5 litres of chemicals to destroy
the mosquitoes.
RTI Act Vedika honorary president N. Srinivas, president
T. Rajamouli have stated that the municipal authorities statements on
the usage of fogging machines were farce and swindled the public money
by claiming that they were operating the machines regularly. Contrary to
the municipal statements, they stated that the fogging machines were
not operated at least once in a fortnight in any part of the town.
Demanding a high-level vigilance inquiry into the
swindling of public money by the corporation in the name of operating
fogging machines, the RTI Act Vedika leaders said that there would have
been more scandals in other sanitation works in the corporation.
They urged the district Collector, who is the special
officer, to at least rise to the occasion and correct the irregularities
and provide proper sanitation and check mosquito menace in the town by
regularly operating the fogging machines.