COIMBATORE: The untimely
appearance of a corporation vehicle with a fogging machine does not
necessarily mean the local body is going all out to control the mosquito
menace. These corporation vehicles are working extra time only to
encourage the public to pay property dues on time.

On Tuesday,
one of these vehicles fitted with loudspeakers negotiated every nook and
corner in Peelamedu area during the day making announcements. “I have
never seen this vehicle in our area to carry out fogging activities. But
when it comes to revenue generation the civic body seems to go the
extra mile,” said R Raveendran of Residents Awareness Association of
Coimbatore ( RAAC).

The corporation has five vehicles mounted with fogging machines for
carrying out mosquito control activities in the five zones. These
vehicles are fitted with loudspeakers and they traverse each zone
reminding the public to pay their property tax dues to avoid penalties.
“This does not affect mosquito control measures as fogging is usually
carried out only in the evening,” a sanitary inspector said. At the end
of every financial year the corporation employs all available vehicles
to reach the public, he added.

Though officials claimed the
fogging vehicles would start fogging activities by 5 pm in their
respective zones, residents challenge this claim. They allege that
mosquito control activities have taken a backseat as the corporation
utilizes these vehicles primarily to aid revenue generation rather than
conduct fogging activities. To begin with, each zone has 20 wards and 1
vehicle is far from adequate to complete activities in all 20 wards.

Informed sources reveal that the corporation is doing whatever it can
to retain the best corporation award received from the state government
last year, primarily for achieving 87 % tax collections in 2011-12, the
highest among urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu. As of Wednesday, the
corporation has collected only 78 % tax dues while the target for
2012-13 financial year is set at 90 %. “No one in the state has achieved
90 % tax collections and with more than 15 days remaining for the end
of this financial year we hope to achieve the target comfortably,” said a
senior official.