Date:12/12/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/12/12/stories/2003121205050400.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Collector suspends municipal works

By Our Correspondent

KAKINADA DEC. 11. In a surprise action, the Collector, K.S. Jawahar Reddy, today issued orders suspending the Municipal Council resolution of 29.10.03 sanctioning of 17 civil works in excess of the municipal budget.

The Collector held that the Municipal Council had acted contrary to the provisions of Section 49 of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act of 1965 as well as Section 147 of the Act with "unusual haste." He observed that the Council should submit a supplementary or revised budget and obtain the consent of the Government if it wanted to modify the budget figures.

He said the Council went ahead with sanction of works in excess of budget estimates thus contravening the provisions of Section 127 of the Act. On the procedure for execution of works, the Collector objected as to how engineering officials could procure the material and make payment to the labour.

The Municipal Commissioner, in his report to the Collector, said 111 works were sanctioned at a cost of Rs.423.15 lakhs and of these 43 works costing Rs.107.56 lakhs were completedand 42 works costing Rs.196.03 lakhs were yet to be taken up.TheCollector observed that the nature of works sanctioned by the chairperson in anticipation of the Council resolution was not of emergency nature.