CORPORATION TO GO IN FOR WIND ENERGY

The Hindu, March 15, 2005

An annual power charge burden of Rs. 8.5 crores has made the Coimbatore
Corporation to go in for wind energy generation. It will install a
windmill and sell to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board power equivalent to
the civic body's annual demand for administration and municipal services
such as street lighting and pumping of water.

The aim is to buy power from the TNEB without having to pay for it. The
Corporation has initially allocated Rs. 1 crore for the project.

Announcing this as its major proposal in the budget presented today by the
Finance and Taxation Committee Chairman, N. Kesavan, the civic body said
that it had already installed 50 solar streetlights at a cost of Rs. 9.16
lakhs, with Rs. 4.5-lakh grant from the Union Government.

The other significant measure is a terminal for omni buses. The number of
these buses increased rapidly over the last six years but do not have a
terminus as yet. This causes congestion on Dr. Nanjappa Road,
Sathyamangalam Road and Bharathiar Road.

Describing only these two as new announcements, the Opposition led by the
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) dubbed the budget as having no focus on
development. The Deputy Mayor and Congress member, K. Raghupathy, the
Leader of the Opposition, K. P. Jagannathan (DMK), the Communist Party of
India councillor, R. Devaraj, and C. Padmanabhan of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) found nothing new in the budget that could assure the
public of development.

Discussion begins today

The Opposition's views came in sharp contrast to the Mayor, T. Malaravan's
observation, after reading out the gist of the budget, that the schemes
announced would bring about all-round development.

Going by the strong reactions from the Opposition leaders in the Council,
the discussion on the budget tomorrow might witness a full-throated
condemnation of the Corporation's fiscal management and a "lack of
development-oriented approach."

As for taxes, it turned out to be too predictable. With stiff political
opposition, the Corporation did not go in for a water charge hike despite
a Rs. 8.52-crore deficit budget.

With regard to projects, the budget earmarked Rs. 64 crores this year for
the drainage scheme. Bids would be invited soon.

The other schemes the budget listed out included a subway at Ukkadam at
Rs.1 crore, an electric crematorium each at Singanallur and on
Mettupalayam Road at Rs. 1.5 crores and a shopping complex on D. B. Road.

The Corporation allocated Rs. 7.5 crores for road maintenance in areas
where the drainage scheme would be implemented.