The Coimbatore Corporation has made public the agreement it signed with Suez Projects Private Limited to improve the water supply distribution in a part of the city.
The Corporation uploaded the signed copy of the agreement on its website www.ccmc.gov.in on Tuesday evening, which can be accessed by clicking the ‘24x7 WATER SUPPLY’ link on the homepage.
A Corporation official said that the civic body decided to go public with the concession agreement to counter criticism and comply with a provision of the Right to Information Act provision, which stated that public-private partnership contract agreement should be made public and that too voluntarily.
The Corporation had come under fire sometime ago from political parties, which, based on social media messages, alleged that the Corporation had handed over the rights to distribute water to the French company, the cost of execution of the project – ₹2,300 crore – was exorbitant, it was the company that would determine the water charges, etc.
The issue was raised in the Tamil Nadu Assembly as well. It did not end there, though. A few organisations also threatened to conduct door-to-door campaign and mobilise the public to protest against the Corporation awarding the contract to Suez.
The controversy over the agreement also saw the Commissioner for Municipal Administration G. Prakash hold a press meet to counter criticism. But the issue refused to die down.
Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani kept reiterating that the agreement with Suez to improve water supply would help the city's residents and threatened to initiate legal action against those who spread canards. The Corporation had also issued a release in this regard warning of legal action. The official said that the Corporation making public the agreement would call the bluff on those who spread falsehood and give the correct picture.
