The Coimbatore Corporation and local bodies in Coimbatore district should make use of the Infrastructure and Amenities Fund to develop public infrastructure, said K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause.
Collection of Infrastructure and Amenities Fund (I & A Funds) is the third highest in Coimbatore in the State with ₹523.39 crore. According to information collected through Right to Information Act, about ₹40 crore was spent on sewage treatment plants and sewer lines at Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board tenements, flood water channel from Trichy Road to Sanganoor Canal, and a new bus stand at Pollachi. Further, the Coimbatore Corporation got ₹50 crore for development of Sanganoor Canal. Over ₹440 crore were given for JNNURM projects in Coimbatore, Madurai, and Chennai.
Mr. Kathirmathiyon said in cities such as Tiruchi and Theni, the funds were used extensively. However, in Coimbatore, though the collection was high, it had not been used much for public infrastructure projects. The funds could be used to develop link roads and traffic improvement structures. The Corporation and local bodies in Coimbatore district should explore mega projects that can be taken up using the I and A funds, he said.
Further, the Directorate of Town and Country Planning had Traffic Improvement Scheme and funds traffic management programmes through it. Just two projects in Pollachi were taken up with it and none in Coimbatore city. This scheme should also be leveraged for better traffic management in the district, especially Coimbatore city, he said.
Published - September 15, 2023 06:01 pm IST
