The Coimbatore Urban District unit of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) has warned of protest outside the house of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Singanallur MLA N. Karthik if he were to continue opposing the 24x7 drinking water supply project.
In a release, the unit’s secretary and Coimbatore North MLA P.R.G. Arunkumar said that Mr. Karthik was engaged in a misinformation campaign through the media about the 24x7 drinking water supply and Ukkadam-Athupalam flyover projects with the intention of stalling those.
It was under the then DMK government that a detailed project report for ₹595.24 crore was prepared for the 24x7 project. But, the government could not execute the project as it did not allocate funds.
The AIADMK government has now took up those projects. . The Coimbatore Corporation that would execute the project would pay the contract company, Suez Infra, ₹646 crore. To the company that would maintain the project for the 21 years after the five-year implementation period, the corporation would pay maintenance charges alone.
The Corporation had not handed over the water distribution rights to the company, as alleged by Mr. Karthik, the release said and reiterated that the Corporation had not given up its rights to determine water distribution charges, collect water charges or sanction new water connections, as alleged by the DMK and circulated widely on social media platforms.
Likewise on the Ukkadam-Athupalam flyover project, the DMK under Mr. Karthik was engaged in a misinformation campaign saying that the southern end of the flyover would be at Karumbukkadai.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani had clarified several times that the southern end of the flyover would be beyond the toll gate.
Mr. Arunkumar said that despite knowing the facts, Mr. Karthik was engaged in the campaign, which if he were to continue, the AIADMK would mobilise more than 50,000 people to protest in front of his house and also initiate legal action.
Meanwhile, Mr. Karthik has hit back at his Coimbatore North constituency counterpart and AIADMK leader P.R.G. Arunkumar after the latter threatened to stage a protest in front of his house.
In a release, issued here on Monday, Mr. Karthik said that the DMK would not cow down to threats from the AIADMK.
DMK and its allies would continue to protest until the Coimbatore Corporation terminated its agreement with the French firm, Suez, for revamping the water supply system for 60 wards in the city.
Taking on Mr. Arunkumar, Mr. Karthik asked why the Corporation could not implement the scheme through the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and chose to award the contract to the private company, which would manage water supply for 26 years.
And the Corporation had taken this decision at a time when there were no elected representatives (councillors). “Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani should explain to the people why the Corporation has brought in Suez through the rear door.”
Mr. Karthik also asked who would bear the cost of replacing or fixing automated water meters and what would be cost of water charges once Suez implemented the scheme.
