Tamil Nadu - Chennai

TNEB pension arrears

I am writing this on behalf of a few of my surviving colleagues in the 80-86 age group who are yet to get pension arrears for 20 years from the TNEB.

The employees of the government Electricity Department were absorbed by the TNEB on 1-7-1957 as per the G.O. 538 dated 25-2-1958 with specific conditions that government rules and regulations will be followed in respect of their service conditions and the same was confirmed in B.P. 445/26-4-1958. The rules applicable to government servants are being followed by the Board for the past 50 years and any increase in D.A. is made applicable both to working staff and pensioners for the 50 years. The Chief Minister announced in the Assembly on 1-9-2006 that balance percentages would be granted to the affected government pensioners who had retired before 31-5-1988. The Minister for Electricity declared in the Assembly on 1-8-2006 that whenever pension benefits were given to government servants, they would be made applicable to the TNEB pensioners also.

The TNEB has adopted the G.O. 579 dated 15-9-2006 with effect from 1-2-2008 pending decision on payment of arrears before 1-2-2008. There may be about 4500 pensioners including family pensioners in the TNEB who are eligible for the benefits.

In a recent recommendation from the State Human Rights Commission to the Chief Secretary, TN, it has been emphasised that any delay in settlement of retirement benefits was frustrating and should be avoided at all costs (page 11, The Hindu dated 2-8-2008).

In a recent judgment of the Supreme Court, the Bench said: “As and when there is a revision of D.A. and pay-scale, then the effect of revision should be ensured promptly and the fixation released as far as possible within two months. As and when the fixation is done, the arrears should be released to the incumbent promptly within two weeks” (page 12, The Hindu dated 3-8-2008)”.

Therefore, the TNEB is requested to kindly settle the benefits at an early date; if necessary, in two instalments since the eligible surviving pensioners are in the age group of 80 and 86.

C. N. Parameswaran,

Taramani

This has reference to the news Item “Craters on roads… pose greater problems” in The Hindu dated November 5, 2008. The bridges over the waste water canal at the MFL Junction are decades-old and are badly maintained. The widening work of the bridges began three years ago, but not even 25 per cent of the work has been completed. Moreover, in the name of widening, both sides of the MFL-Ponneri High Road were dug, without any further process, which made the entire 9-km stretch unmotorable. As a result, traffic block has become a daily phenomenon with hundreds of container trucks forming serpentine queues on both sides of the Ponneri High Road-MFL-Ennore Express way.

The residents of Manali New Town, Vichur, and Naapalayam, are struggling to move out of this area, especially during monsoon.

Manali New Town was formed three decades ago as a satellite town. But till now, not even a local body has been formed. There is no garbage collection nor proper maintenance of drainage system. We cannot talk about transportation, since only a meagre number of buses are allotted to this area, that too, most of them are condemned by other depots of Chennai city.

Therefore, the authorities concerned should take immediate steps to:

(1) Repair the entire stretch of Ponneri High Road. (2) Repair the bridges at MFL Junction. (3) Proper illumination should be provided on this stretch.

(4) Parallel roads to Ponneri High Road from Manali New Town to reach Ennore ExpressWay as well as Inner Ring Road, as there is plenty of vacant land in between the surrounding villages. This will atleast facilitate two-wheelers and three wheelers to access City without burdening the PH Road.

(5) Lorry-cum-container traffic should be restricted to the slot of 10 p.m.-6 a.m.

(6) Drainage system should be cleaned periodically. Garbage removal is also to be arranged.

(7) Last but not the least, this area should merge with Thiruvottiyur Corporation.

S. Sekar,

Manali New Town

In Pallikaranai on Velachery Main Road and 100 Feet Road Junction, a flyover is constructed and traffic is allowed to pass on both sides of the flyover. This passage on both sides is full of potholes, muddy and bumpy.

The contractors may be asked to lay a tar road or at least, a mud road and level it with road engine. They can throw the wastes and debris on one side and dispose of it weekly through lorries. Thus, they can help to avoid long queues of vehicles, save up fuel and time and ensure free flow of vehicles.

Will the State government take necessary steps in this regard?

R. Sukumaran,

Madambakkam

Responding to the demand of Chrompet residents, South Chennai MP and Union Minister T. R. Baalu has asked the NHAI to provide a foot overbridge with an escalator facility at the entrance of the Chrompet Railway Station to cross the busy GST Road. Accordingly, the NHAI arranged a function to mark the foundation laying ceremony for a foot overbridge and the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone a few months ago. But, till today, the project work has not begun.

When we enquired with the NHAI about the delay under the RTI Act, the officials have replied that the Railways have to assign a portion of their land for bridge construction and it is under process. Therefore, we appeal to the Railways to hand over the land to the NHAI for the construction of foot over bridge.

V.Santhanam,

president, Chrompet Rail Users’ Forum, Chromepet

The chaotic traffic and the ceaseless flow of vehicles on Second Avenue in Ashok Nagar connecting the R3 police station junction and the signal at the junction of 100 feet road make it impossible for pedestrians to cross the road at this stretch. It has become a nightmarish stretch especially for women and senior citizens who reside in and around Dr. Subbarayan Nagar, Vedhachalam Nagar etc. Of late, the situation is going from bad to worse because all areas such as KK Nagar, Nesapakkam, Vadapalani etc. are highly developed and thickly populated. Those who come by vehicles from these areas have to necessarily pass through this junction in Second Avenue to go to Usman road in T. Nagar via Duraiswamy subway and get back. To crown it all, the timber merchants on both sides of this stretch have encroached on most part of the space in front of their shops by placing logs, plywood sheets, door frames etc. posing a hindrance to vehicle-riders as well as pedestrians. The conglomeration of vehicles at the junction near the police station during morning and evening rush hour creates virtually a traffic jam on the entire stretch starting from 2nd Avenue signal to the 100 feet road junction signal.

The only panacea is to erect central medians on this entire stretch immediately and regulate the traffic in an appropriate manner.

S. Jayabalan,

West Mambalam

In response to my letter published in these columns (November 10), the Chennai Corporation restored immediately, the streetlights at the junction of Seventh Cross Street and Eleventh Cross Street near ‘Ram Lok Apartments’ in Sastri Nagar.

I wish to thank the Chennai Corporation in this regard.

P. V. Srinivasan,

Sastri Nagar

Streetlights starting from the Parry’s Corner bus stop to the Royapuram bridge at the busy Rajaji Salai have not been burning satisfactorily for the past six months. Owing to low voltage during evenings, most of these lamps are just flickering.

Thousands of vehicles pass through the area regularly. Often poor visibility leads to fatal accidents.

Hence, authorities are requested to make suitable arrangements to do the needful, at the earliest.

T. Selvaraj,

Rajaji Salai

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