Elected representatives who hinder the execution of any ongoing development projects or the contractors implementing the works in the urban civic bodies for “obvious reasons” will have to pay a hefty price, Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru has warned.
“Since the Chief Minister himself has made it clear that the elected representatives would have to lose their posts if they disturbed the execution of any ongoing development work, the elected members of urban civic bodies should understand the gravity of the situation,” Mr. Nehru said when it was brought to his notice that a few elected representatives including the councillors of Tirunelveli Corporation were hindering the contractors executing ongoing development works in the urban civic body.
Chairing a meeting here on Friday to review the ongoing development works and the infrastructure facilities available in the urban local bodies of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi districts, Mr. Nehru exhorted the officials to work expeditiously to complete all ongoing infrastructure development projects.
The Minister said the Ariyanayagipuram drinking water scheme being executed in Tirunelveli Corporation would be completed and commissioned within a month.
On the failure of the drinking water scheme which was implemented at a cost of ₹25 crore for supplying drinking water to 13 coastal hamlets of Tirunelveli district from infiltration wells sunk in Tamirabharani at Ponnankurichi near Srivaikundam in Thoothukudi district, the Minister said the illegal diversion of drinking water from the pipes had defeated the objective of the scheme. Hence, an alternative scheme was in the making to take the drinking water via alternative route from the same water source for benefiting the coastal population.
Mr. Nehru, who gave away welfare measures, informed that vacancies in the urban local bodies would be filled-up through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission.
When asked about the fate of the underground drainage project executed in the Melapalayam Zone of Tirunelveli Corporation after it was abandoned midway by the contractor, Secretary, Department of Municipal Administration Shiv Das Meena said re-tender for this project would be floated shortly to identify a contractor.
The meeting reviewed the revenue and expenditure of the town panchayats, municipalities and the Corporations in the three districts and the heads of these urban local bodies explained in detail about the development projects to be executed in their areas. Most of the public representatives appealed to the Minister to ensure better roads and new drinking water schemes for ensuring sufficient supply of drinking water to the residents.
Speaker M. Appavu, Ministers P. Geetha Jeevan and R.S. Rajakannappan, District Collector V. Vishnu, Commissioner for Municipal Administration Ponniah, Commissioner for Town Panchayats Selvaraj, Managing Director of TWAD Board Dhakshinamurthy, Mayors, MPs and MLAs participated in the review meeting.
