The Tamilnadu Water Supply And Drainage Board (TWAD) Workers Federation on Saturday suggested the State government take over the sale of bottled drinking water and make it available at Rs. 2 a litre.
The State government which was generating a huge income from sale of Indian made Foreign liquor (IMFL) through TASMAC outlets should think of making available good drinking water to people, Federation General Secretary P.H.C.M.Gandhi said here.
The government could earn revenue of Rs 5,000 crore even if it sold water at Rs. 2 a litre, he said adding that multi-national and private companies selling packaged drinking water were earning crores of rupees as profit whereas actual cost of purifying water was less than five paise per litre.
TWAD should be fully in charge of surveying, designing, execution and maintenance of all water and drainage schemes and empowered to collect water and drainage tax also, he said.
Alleging corruption in employment of contract workers by the board, Mr. Gandhi said Identity Cards should be issued to them and their salaries deposited in bank accounts.
Talking to PTI, Gandhi and federation Vice-President K.K.N. Rajan claimed that as per information received from the Executive Engineers, the Government had sanctioned appointment of 10,000 contract labourers in various categories such as fitter, electrician, turncock and Electrical Superintendents.
However, detailed physical verification revealed only 2,250 to 2,500 contract workers were employed since 2007-08.
TWAD Board officials, when contacted, refused to comment on the allegation.
