Done on paper, not on ground

[sidmis]

Done on paper, not on ground
Reported by J Shanmugha Sundaram in newindpress.com Friday May 16 2008 10:15 IST


VELLORE: Wrong information furnished under the Right To Information
(RTI) Act about development works undertaken by Annaithu Grama Anna
Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT) has annoyed villagers in Pallavalli
panchayat in Tirupattur taluk.
P S Bala Subramani, a resident of the village, had sought information
on the development activities in the village under the RTI Act. The
works listed in the reply were contradictory to what was actually done
in the village.

Around 15 works at a cost Rs 20 lakh were completed under AGAMT for
2007-2008 in the panchayat. Enquiries revealed that some of the works,
including erecting play kits in playground and setting up a library,
that were mentioned as completed were not completed till date. The
work for setting up a fishery was also not taken up. The officials had
also confirmed completion of 263 metres of tar road from Vasanthapuram
I Street to Rangan House.

But officials had laid only material roads. "We have provided area
measuring 9 metres breadth and 270 metres length in agriculture lands
belonging to four of our brothers to lay a road a year ago.

"We have also given a concurrence letter to the panchayat, but the
local body has not yet laid the road except the existing material
road," said Srinivasan, a resident of the area.
Natarajan, a resident of the village, claimed that the officials had
erected a minimum of 15 streetlights out of 28 that were mentioned as
erected under the scheme.

However, panchayat president PGM Saravanan said that some of the
vested interests had been creating problems to the local body.


Done on paper, not on ground - Newindpress.com