The Rs. 250-crore budgetary allocation made by the State Government for Madurai Corporation on Monday could not have come at a more opportune time.
The funds allotted by the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, would not only see the pending projects under phase one of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNRUM) completed, but also ensure that the local body gets more funds for its infrastructure development under the Phase Two of the mission.
The Madurai Mayor, V.V. Rajan Chellappa, thanked the Chief Minister for allotting funds for the city.
“With these funds, we will be able to complete all the pending works. We will also qualify to get additional funds under the Phase Two of JnNRUM,” he said. He said that proposals for funds had been taken by the local body for the last three months, he added.
Infrastructure boost
The Rs. 250 crore would take care of the Corporation's 30 per cent contribution to be made for the over Rs. 600 crore worth five projects taken up under the mission. The fund-starved Corporation could not make its contribution for the works that brought the construction work of underground drainage (UGD) project and the lining of Storm Water Drainage (SWD) project to a grinding halt in the last quarter of 2010.
The Corporation had been making appeals to the State Government seeking grants to complete the pending works since then.
A total of Rs. 600 crore worth projects had been sanctioned under the mission with 50 per cent contribution by the Centre, 20 per cent contribution by the State and 30 per cent contribution by the local body, the City Engineer (in-charge), A. Madhuram, said.
Among the sanctioned projects the second drinking water pipeline from Vaigai dam scheme (Rs. 65 crore) and construction of three check dams across Vaigai river (Rs. 9 crore) have been completed. The Rs. 74-crore Solid Waste Management scheme is on the verge of completion.
Pending work
The UGD scheme for the uncovered areas (65 km) and renovation of the worn out UGD pipelines (116 km) along with construction of two Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at Vellaikkal and Sakkimangalam were taken up at a cost of Rs. 230 crore. Though the STPs were completed, the work of laying pipelines, including 20 km main pipelines were pending.
Besides, the Corporation could carry out only 65 per cent of the Rs. 248 crore works of lining of the 10 drainage channels criss-crossing the city for 49 km and construction of road-side storm water drainages for 822 km.
“The works that were pending for want of contribution of the Corporation would be completed with the Government's fund allocation,” Mr. Madhuram said. It would also take care of the escalation of cost for the projects, the work of which had stopped for one year.
The works are expected to be completed in six months depending on the monsoon.
