The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Local bodies, agencies asked to sign MoUs

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Friday, Dec 29, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Local bodies, agencies asked to sign MoUs

T. Ramakrishnan

For early completion of schemes

CHENNAI: Keen on timely completion of urban water supply and underground sewerage schemes, the State Government has instructed local bodies and the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board and Chennai Metrowater to enter into memoranda of understanding.

The aim is to ensure quality, adherence to payment schedules and greater responsibility on the part of the local bodies and the implementing agencies.

Commissioner of Municipal Administration Niranjan Mardi wrote a letter on Wednesday to TWAD Board Managing Director Swaran Singh. A copy has been sent to Chennai Metrowater Managing Director Shivdas Meena.

The concept per se was nothing new. Even in March 2001, the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department issued an elaborate order, but it remains on paper so far. This time, the Government wants to make the idea a reality, says a senior official.

Under this initiative, underground sewerage schemes for the Sivganga and Namakkal municipalities and water supply improvement schemes for the Tirupathur (in Vellore district), Namakkal, Palladam, Arakonam, Vikramasingapuram, Srivilliputhur, Gudalur, Aranthangi and Valparai municipalities are covered. While the sewerage schemes are going to be implemented under the World Bank-assisted Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project-III, the water supply schemes come under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns Programme of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

All the projects have to be completed in 18 months.

The cost of each of the sewerage schemes works out to Rs. 20 crore, and that of the water supply scheme is Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 13 crore.

The MoU concept was raised by the World Bank during its interaction with the State Government a couple of months ago. Representatives of the multilateral agency emphasised the need for putting in place contractual obligations at the earliest. In the recent training programme for elected representatives and officials of the urban local bodies, the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration briefed them on the guidelines to be followed in respect of water supply and sewerage schemes.

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