Work on to tar road leading to Kumaragiri Hills.

The tar-topping works on the 2 km-long road leading to Sri Kumaragiri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple atop Kumaragiri Hills in Ward 37 in Salem city will be completed by the end of this month.

The works, which began during 2009, are apace and the existing mud road has been widened with storm water drainage facility – to cater to the increasing number of devotees and tourists of the hill temple, which is situated right at the heart of the city.

The project is being carried out under the ‘Namakku Naame’ scheme with devotees and Board members of the Temple’s trust contributing Rs. 28.27 lakh while the government through Salem Corporation has contributed Rs. 56.63 lakh. One of the Board members of the Temple’s trust said that with the help of devotees and members of the Board, a mud road at a cost of Rs. 26 lakh was laid in the hills in 2000. Later they formed the Arulmigu Kumaragiri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Narpani Mandram for providing facilities to devotees who visit the temple.

The road also was maintained by the Small Hill Roads Committee.

As the increase in the number of devotees has recorded a steady growth, the Board has decided to tar-top it for which they approached the government, which sanctioned funds under the ‘Namakku Naame’ scheme. The Salem District administration has also extended assistance.

The works at the total cost of Rs. 84.80 lakh is being taken up in three phases including two layer metal laying, bitumen and retaining wall. “The pucca road on which even cars can travel, will be ready by May end positively,” says an officer who is in charge of the project.

Source: The Hindu

Rs. 1.65 crore allotted for laying concrete roads under a special scheme

Development work:Concrete road being laid on Samundi Street in ward 50 in Salem.

Salem Corporation has undertaken many road works in the city under the Special Road Scheme (2010-2011) to the tune of Rs. 1.65 crore.

Storm water drainage

In Ward 50, cement concrete roads are being laid on Samundi Streets 1, 2 and 3 at a cost of Rs. 27 lakh for a total length of 420 metres along with storm water drainage channels.

On Angalamman Koil Street, concrete road for 430 metres is being laid along with storm water drainage facility at a total cost of Rs. 13.80 lakh.

Road works

In the same ward, road and storm water works for a total length of 415 metres have been undertaken on Madura Kaliamman Koil Street 1 and 2 at a total cost of Rs. 22 lakh along with works in Netaji Nagar for a length of 220 metres at Rs 7.50 lakh, while a sum of Rs. 28.85 lakh has been sanctioned at Utharappankadu for tar-topping a distance of 325 metres.

Storm water facility is also being added to it.

In Ward 59, a sum of Rs. 67 lakh has been earmarked for the works on cement road and storm water drainage at Perumalkoil Medu Street for 175 metres. Senior Corporation officials say that these road works, which had been sanctioned earlier, could not be taken up due to elections. “They will be completed shortly,” they further added.

Source: The Hindu

For free flow of traffic:The State Highways Department has taken up improvement works at the traffic junction near Alagapuram Police Station on Saradha Collage Road in Salem on Friday.

The Salem division of State Highways has undertaken the traffic junction improvement works in front of the Alagapuram Police Station on Saradha College Road in the city at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh. The works for which have begun on Friday.

Road Safety Fund

The project, being executed under the Road Safety Fund of the State Highways, includes a culvert across the road at the junction for storm water drainage, centre median to a distance of 1200 metres from Sri Rathnavel Gounder Kalyana Mandap to Abi Hospital and junction improvement for better vehicle movement on the Sri Saradha College Road, which has become the busiest road with malls and educational institutions.

Though a culvert exists near the police station it is not sufficient for storm water drainage and hence an additional one is being constructed.

According to Assistant Divisional Engineer P. Ramanathan, the project would ensure free flow of traffic at the junction, which has become congested at all hours. The storm water would be diverted to Pallapatti where also a culvert would be constructed at Pallapatti-Sooramangalam junction, he further added.

The works are being executed under the monitoring of Superintendent Engineer K. Jayaraman and Divisional Engineer C. Duraisamy.

The works would be completed in May, he said.

Source: The Hindu

Steps will be taken to introduce pre-paid auto fare system in Salem city after consulting the trade unions, said Collector J. Chandrakumar.

Presiding over the road safety meeting here on Thursday, he said that as per the wish of the general public and members of the Safety Council, pre-paid auto system could be introduced for which he said he would hold talks with auto and trade unions regarding the issue.

As such the pre-paid fare system was in vogue in the hill station of Yercaud.

The same could be introduced at bus stands and Railway Junction, he pointed out.

He warned the auto rickshaw drivers not to fleece the public who came to them for service.

The Collector further pointed out that high mast lamps would be erected at Tiruvagoubndanur bye-pass and Salem Thoppur ghat section to prevent accidents.

He said that all steps that were necessary would be taken in order to identify accident-prone areas and provide necessary safeguard mechanism to prevent the same. These would be in place shortly.

The meeting also sought a report from the Salem Corporation on the shifting and relocation of bus shelters and erecting traffic signals.

He however pointed out that accidents had come down this month.

DRO S. Palanisamy, Corporation Commissioner Prabhakaran, DCs Baskaran and Raveendran, ADSP Elangovan and other officials took part in the meeting.

Source: THE HINDU

The Mumbai-based International Certification Services Private Limited assessed both the infrastructure and certified them for environmental management system with silver ranking with the validity period of January 12, 2011 to January 11, 2014. The Joint Accredited System of Australia and New Zealand, has accorded the accreditations for complying with the requirements of international standards.

Members

The crematorium, located inside the Kakkayan burial ground here, is being maintained and run by ‘Amaithi Arakkatalai’, (Trust for Peace) in which city’s elite are members.

Inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam on July 7, 2010, it has received 500 corpses so far, says Corporation Commissioner Dr K S Palanisamy.

The main project cost Rs. 90 lakh, with the Corporation contributing Rs. 78 lakh and the Department of Municipal Administration chipping in with a subsidy of Rs. 20 lakh. The Madurai-based Jwala Equipment and Consultants constructed the facilities.

A donor has provided the green belt while the ‘Anjali Mandap’ (Homage Hall) has been constructed by Jayaram Educational Trust.

Red Cross Society has been entrusted with the job of installing computers to issue death certificates at the site itself immediately after the last rites are performed.

The Corporation has constructed auxiliary infrastructure such as office building, toilet blocks, footpath, compound wall and storage room at a cost of Rs. 1.14 crore made available from the civic body’s general fund. Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has cleared the project.

The modern slaughterhouse at Maniyanur here, a long-pending demand of Salem citizens, was constructed at a cost of Rs. 68 lakh of which Rs. 10 lakh comes as grant.

The house has all facilities including effluent treatment plant (ETP).

Source: THE HINDU

After reviewing the town planning and connected issues in Salem Corporation, he also received petitions from people who had grievances. Mr. Bansal said that no one should buy any property without government approval.

Building rules violations would not be allowed, he said.

Source: THE HINDU

The Road Safety Committee has decided to convert both Advaitha Ashramam Road and Brindavan Road in Fairlands in the city into ‘one-way’ following heavy traffic snarls, especially at peak hours.

Representatives

Its monthly meeting chaired by Collector J. Chandrakumar and attended by police, transport and revenue officials, besides representatives from various fora here on Thursday, pointed out that the increasing volume of traffic on the roads of the city had not only put the entire traffic management system under strain but also prompted the administration to implement various regulations to ease the same.

The traffic on the narrow Advaitha Ashramam Road and Brindavan Road in Fairlands had become nightmarish with business establishments and shops gobbling up the roads allowing haphazard parking of two- and four-wheelers.

Hence it was decided at the meeting to implement one-way rule on these roads on trial basis.

The flower vendors near Rathna Theatre complex at Five Roads Junction had to be reorganised so that the traffic bottleneck near the spot could be eased.

The Pallapaitti-Salem Junction road and Saradha College Road with medians and bus bays would be widened further at a cost of Rs. 1 crore.

The meeting also discussed the change of timings in educational institutions.

The Collector had felt that simultaneous timings for all educational institutions from LKG had to be reworked.

Hence, the Collector asked the officials of Department of Education to convene meetings with the managements and members of Parents-Teachers Association of various schools in the city to discuss the issue of timings and present their views at the next meeting, based on which viable solution would be taken up in this regard.

The Collector also asked the managements of schools to create awareness about strangers among students and their parents also about the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for school vehicles operators.

The bus stop near Attur Government Hospital at Attur town also should be relocated to avoid traffic problems.

As many as 39 people had died in 34 fatal accidents in the district during October, it was pointed out.

Corporation Commisisoner Dr. K. S. Palanisamy, SP Y. John Nicholson, District Revenue Officer V. Kalai Arasi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Salem City Baskar, RDOs M. G. Kulandaivelu (Salem), Sirajunnisa (Attur), P. Velu (Mettur) and M. Subramanian (Sankagiri) and officials from Transport Department and others took part at the meeting.

Source: THE HINDU

Source: THE HINDU

Collector J. Chandrakumar and others took part in the discussion in which the minister suggested that an illuminated traffic island should be formed in which the statue could be located.

The relocation was necessitated following the widening of the Sevvapet Main Road after the construction of the new hospital. The minister also saw the blue prints of arches for the hospital and the newly constructed Collectorate.

Source: THE HINDU

According to the officials, many bill boards remained despite repeated reminders from the civic body. Hence on Tuesday, the workers removed 20 boards.

The initiative would continue in other parts of the city, they said.

Source: THE HINDU