Date:13/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/13/stories/2008051352050300.htm

Tamil Nadu

A rough road ahead for development works in Ambur

Staff Reporter

Lack of interest on part of official machinery to blame for sub-standard work, say councillors

Officials concerned clear pending bills to contractors without reviewing work done
Drainage projects initiated were either delayed or below desired standards: councillors

— Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan

OFFICIAL APATHY: The condition of the cement road on Palamareri Mohammed Sayiboo street in Ambur, which was laid a month ago.

AMBUR: Despite considerable grants for development works in Ambur, most projects undertaken by the municipality are far below desired standards.

The Vaniyambadi constituency MLA, who also represents Ambur, allotted over Rs.58 lakh for the purpose, with special focus on road and drainage works.

A cross section of councillors attached to the Ambur Municipality attributed the sub-standard work to failure of supervision from the official machinery. They seldom took interest in reviewing ongoing works, they said.

The situation existed at a time when Ambur was one of the most industrialised areas, bringing in huge foreign exchange through exports of shoes and other finished leather products.

A representative of a NGO in Ambur said the officials concerned cleared the pending bills to contractors without inspecting whether the completed works met the required standard.

Some councillors, including members of the Ambur Town Congress Committee, said the problem of sub-standard work could be solved if the responsibility of clearing cheques was entrusted with the Chairman of the municipality. At present, in the case of municipalities, the Commissioner was responsible for clearing cheques. Minister for Local Administration M.K. Stalin should immediately review the situation and do the needful, they said. “Sub-standard work leads to wastage of public fund,” the councillors added.

Citing an example of sub-standard road work in one of the main areas in Ambur, E. Suresh Babu, president, Ambur Town Congress Committee, said the municipality, through a local contractor, had completed work on a cement road at Palamareri Mohammed Sayiboo Street, which connected Krishnapuram with the Bypass Road. The cement road had been laid just over a month back. But it was already in bad shape again. Residents said more than the contractor, it was the official machinery that had to be blamed. They had failed to supervise the road work since the time it had been commissioned. Similarly, lot of money had been spent on construction of drainage canals in residential areas. Such works either got delayed or it was below desired standards.