Assembly assurances committee visits Coimbatore
Members of the Assembly Assurances Committee at the Pilloor Dam near the city on Thursday.The Assembly Assurances Committee led by its Chairman and legislator T. Velmurugan visited the Pilloor Dam and the pumping station and treatment plant of the Pilloor drinking water scheme in the district on Thursday.Coimbatore Corporation sources said that the panel visited the dam and other facilities in view of the civic body’s Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme that was to be implemented under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Mayor R. Venkatachalam, Deputy Mayor N. Karthik and Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran accompanied the panel members.The panel inspected the existing treatment plant at Velliyangadu as an additional plant would come up there for the Phase II scheme.The sources said that the damage caused often to the pipeline and the resultant disruption in water supply under the first phase of the scheme was also discussed. The panel was told that the new scheme would have mild steel pipes that would not burst because of water pressure.The committee held discussions with Collector Neeraj Mittal and the Corporation Commissioner on various development projects. It visited the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and inquired with the patients about the facilities and the quality of treatment.
The panel also criticised the officials over the issue of the contractor of the public toilet in the hospital collecting excess fee and also for poor maintenance of the toilet.The committee also ordered the removal of a tea shop from the hospital premises. On inspecting the milk outlet of Aavin, it found that tea was prepared in unhygienic conditions.The milk was also found to have been adulterated, according to a release from the district administration.The panel ordered the Managing Director of Aavin to initiate action against the outlet.Public Works Department officials were asked to plug the leaks in the water lines in the hospital.The committee also detected collection of excess parking fee at the town and mofussil bus stands at Gandhipuram. It also found that the tokens issued did not bear the Corporation’s seal.Mr. Velmurugan told the Corporation Commissioner that the irregularities should be dealt with by preferring a complaint with the police against the contractor for initiating action under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Commissioner was also asked to take action against the supervisory officer concerned for dereliction of duty.The panel also met the management and staff member of Pricol, the private firm that ran into a strike by the employees for three months since March.It also inspected the site for the TIDEL Park at Peelamedu and also the one for a bus stand on Mettupalayam Road.After the site visits in the morning and afternoon, the panel reviewed the action taken on 213 assurances given in the Assembly pertaining to various requirements of the district at a meeting with the heads of various departments in the evening.Administration sources said that the panel would continue its review and site visits on Friday.
