The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Desilting channel

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Monday, Jan 12, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Desilting channel

This has reference to the news item ‘Work on desilting channel begins’ (Jan. 6). Those who remember the havoc caused by the devastating flood in 1978 will also remember the preventive measures undertaken in those days against the recurrence of such calamities.

The channel got widened and the water flowing through it was free from any pollution. But the condition of this channel is so pathetic that it needs a major operation. Now that the cleansing operation has begun it must be made clear to one and all that serious action will be taken against those who treat this channel as their dumping ground.

P.U. Krishnan,

Udhagamandalam.

Architects of Coimbatore

G. Satyamurty has given an excellent account of men who have moulded Coimbatore. I would like to add the following which have escaped Mr. Satyamurty’s attention. 1. P.S. Govindaswamy Naidu (PSG) may well be called the pioneer in engineering industries and education. Many of the industrialists who nurtured the engineering industry in Coimbatore had begun their life with PSG and later started their own industries. 2. Late T.A. Ramalingam Chettiyar was the first and the only Tamilian to become chairman of Tirupathi Tirumala Devasthanam Board.

3. Late C.S. Rathnasabapathi Mudaliar was responsible for eradication of plague in Coimbatore by relocating the Kumaran Market area, for bringing in Siruvani water to Coimbatore and for the layout by the Municipality of the posh R.S. Puram and Ramnagar areas.

Mr. Mudaliar was also the first South Indian to become the president of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi.

C.L. Sundar Rajan,

Coimbatore.

Family cards

The District Collector has ordered to stop issuance of about 1.30 lakh family cards based on the report of his officials. No official has come to our area in the last six months for verification of family cards. Most of the cards were checked by officials (mostly noon meal workers) in the respective ration shops on one or two days. Only those cards which were verified in the ration shops were certified as genuine. Cards of those who did not turn up in the rations shops on the days of the officials’ visit were not verified. Suddenly supply of ration was cut. I went to the taluk office on December 19 on the instruction of my ration shop and I was asked to fill up a form with xerox copies of my residential proof. I was asked to put my application in a hardboard box kept in the taluk office and was informed that officials would come to my home for verification. But till now no official has come for verification and I was deprived of the food supply for December. Because of the improper attitude of the officials genuine card holders like me suffer. I hope the District Collector and other government officials will take suitable action.

K.P. Padmanabhan,

Coimbatore.

Vigilance raids

Vigilance and anti-corruption department officials are launching surprise raids in government offices and bringing to book those who take bribe. It is unfortunate that even those in the position of tahsildars, who have magisterial powers, fall into the vigilance department net. Most of the government servants who are arrested are on the verge of retirement. It is a shame that they are caught red-handed at the fag end of their career. The government servants should realise that they get their monthly salary from the taxes collected from people who, in many cases, live below the poverty line.

R. Vanarajan,

Coimbatore.

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