Corp Examine Assessing Drinking Water Consumption Outsoursed
The Coimbatore Corporation may examine the option of engaging non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in assessing drinking water consumption charges. At present members of self-help groups are engaged in meter reading and arriving at consumption charges. Following complaints of poor revenue owing to shortage of staff, the Corporation had engaged the SHG members to carry out meter reading for more than one lakh water connections in the city. When councillors alleged at the Council meeting on Friday that SHG members were ineffective and that some of them indulged in malpractice, Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra suggested enlisting the services of NGOs.The Commissioner said each NGO was a co-ordinator for a group of SHGs. Therefore, the NGOs would be able to provide the Corporation with the services of credible groups. Besides, they could also be given the task of monitoring the functioning of the SHGs. Leader of the Opposition and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member V.N. Udayakumar said on Saturday that there were complaints of SHG members favouring some sections by recording a lesser amount than the actual consumption. “But, experience shows that we will face the same problem from SHGs, our own staff or any other agency,” he said.
The problems were brought to the notice of the Corporation authorities when a resolution on increasing the charges being paid to the SHGs came up for discussion. Mr. Udayakumar even pressed for a fixed rate to avoid irregularities. “The meter system will always give room for malpractice. It is better to fix a rate on the basis of the average consumption per head in each family,” he said. Mr. Udayakumar also told Mayor R. Venkatachalam that there were a number of errors in the photo electoral rolls. The address of former Member of Parliament Era Mohan was wrong, the name of former Rajya Sabha member K.R. Subbayan was missing. Corporation Councillor M. Kanagamani
