Stalin @ Coimbatore
Local Administration Minister M. K. Stalin handing over revolving fund to a member of a women self-help group at a function organised by the District administration in Coimbatore on Wednesday. Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy is in the picture. (Right) Mr. Stalin handing over a hearing aid to a girl. Vacancies in the Coimbatore Corporation will be filled and the combined drinking water supply scheme for Kurichi and Kuniamuthur municipalities here will be completed by December this year, Minister for Local Administration M.K. Stalin said here on Wednesday.Reacting to reports in the media on the vacancies, the Minister contended that the situation was not as alarming as it was made out to be.
“We admit that there are vacancies. And, we will also take efforts to fill these,” he said at a function organised to give away assistance to self-help groups and launch development projects.After the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam came to power in 2006, it first lifted the ban on recruitment that had caused many vacancies in various departments. After that, it took efforts to fill the vacancies. As for Coimbatore Corporation, 791 vacancies had been filled. Totally, 1,114 persons had been appointed to the civic body over the last two-and-a-half years. Another 500 posts would be filled and the Government was committed to filling all vacancies in every department across the State.
Refuting reports of slow of pace the water scheme implementation, Mr. Stalin said it would be commissioned in December. The Anna Marumalarchi scheme, initially implemented for rural areas, was now extended to municipalities also. Valparai, a Grade III municipality in Coimbatore District had been sanctioned with Rs.75 lakh this year for development works.Earlier, Minister for Rural Industries and Animal Husbandry Pongalur N. Palanisamy said the pace of implementing infrastructure development schemes under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission had slackened.
He also called for steps to have the schedule of rates for construction increased, as contractors found the present ones non-viable. This affected development works, he said.Specifically, Mr. Palanisamy asked for special rates for Coimbatore stating that the cost of labour and materials was higher here. If the Local Administration Minister took this matter up with the Public Works Department and got the rates increased, all-out efforts would be made here to ensure that the works were completed soon.
Legislator from Tirupur C. Govindasamy asked for three more months’ time for the people of some unapproved layouts in the newly-formed Corporation to have their house sites regularised.They could not do it within the specified period owing to lack of funds, he explained.Minister for Khadi K. Ramachandran was present at the function. District Collector V. Palanikumar, Coimbatore Mayor R. Venkatachalam, Tirupur Mayor K. Selvaraj, Valparai MLA Kovai Thangam were among those who spoke.
