City projects stuck in poll code confusion

CHENNAI: Though the state election department has clarified that the model code of conduct is restricted to the RK Nagar constituency, a confused Chennai Corporation is unlikely to launch any schemes anywhere in the city fearing violation of the code.
Sources in the corporation said confusion over whether the code of conduct is applicable for the entire Chennai district or only to the constituency persists.If clarity continues to elude the civic body, the city will have to wait for its ready-to-open projects till June-end when the by-election result will be announced.
“Normally, the code of conduct applies to the whole district whenever there is a by-election to a constituency. We have been waiting for the chief minister to launch the schemes and there is nothing wrong in waiting till the end of the election. We want to avoid controversies, especially since the chief minister is contesting,” said a corporation official.
The inauguration of Amma Maaligai, an annexe building to the Ripon Building, 161 new common collection centers where residents can pay corporation and Metrowater taxes together, Amma weekly markets, primary health centers and privatization of garbage collection in three zones will be delayed.
The 40-bed primary health centre in Meenambal Nagar in Tondiarpet was almost ready. Separately, the Thursday’s corporation council did not take up approval of the Rs114.9 crore rail-over-bridge project at Korukkupet, as both of these come in the RK Nagar constituency.
Officials, however, say the ongoing re-laying work of 194 bus route roads will not be affected. “We have to go ahead with the road re-laying work as it has to be completed before the Global Investors Meet on September 9,” said another officer.
Former bureaucrat M G Devasahayam said corporation the should follow the election commission's instruction and continue the work. “There are already several complaints about the slow pace of the work of the corporation. Why should people struggle because of this election? Anyway, this election result will not make any impact on the lives of the common man.”
The corporation did not announce any new projects in the 2015-16 civic budget as it failed to implement more than half of the 132 projects and proposals made in its previous budget. Several Amma-branded projects that the corporation announced with fanfare in the previous budget, including 20-litre water cans, hostels, weekly markets and cinema theatres, are yet to take off. Some proposals like a dashboard system to monitor field work, widening of roads and tree census are still in progress. Projects like bicycle tracks and online booking of parking space also remain on paper.