Coimbatore Corporation Upset
Wary of the resistance from some of the political parties in the Council, the Coimbatore Corporation says that administrative reforms are inevitable. Resistance in the present cannot be allowed to impede a foundation the Corporation will have to lay now for long-term benefits for the civic body and the city.Referring to the mandatory reforms called for under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and the opposition from some parties to these, official sources in the Corporation say that an individual city cannot seek to alienate itself from a national-level programme to improve the functioning of civic bodies. Leading the resistance, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) fears reforms may end the Corporation’s social obligation. Services provided free of cost to the poor may come for a price if the reforms are carried out, it says.The party refers to certain conditions such as decreasing the number of drinking water connections that do not fetch any income to the Corporation. The civic body plans to implement this in 2008-2009 and the parties are worried that this may have an impact on the more than 2,000 roadside taps through which water is supplied to the poor.Corporation sources say the focus is only on removing these taps in places where people can afford to have house connections and pay for these.Quite a few measures are aimed at improving the Corporation’s revenue, especially in view of the massive infrastructure development planned. With user charges for water, drainage and parking lots being seen as a form of public participation, the Opposition parties feel that the word reforms is being used as a mild expression for financial burden on the people.
On its part, the Corporation says the time has come for the people to pay for services in order to help sustain them. The role of the Corporation itself is changing from a provider to that of a facilitator.Stressing the need for reforms, Mayor R. Venkatachalam says: “We need to raise revenue for long-term benefits for the city. At the same time, we are keen that the Corporation’s budget should translate into benefits to the people”.Another objective is to cut wastage of funds and make city administration viable.
