Several civic works launched by the Chennai corporation are progressing behind schedule and lack of staff at several departments coupled with bureaucracy continues to haunt the civic administration at Ripon Buildings.
For instance the caste census is yet to be completed, despite its 40-day deadline ending last week. Though 90 per cent of the enumeration work is over, the corporation has instructed its schoolteachers to work extra time and finish the census work.
Similarly, the civic body recently announced collection of property tax through nationalised and private banks, but the project remains to be a non-starter as the revenue authorities are yet to compile the data and work out a common tax assessment procedure.
The practice of the corporation releasing the list of major property tax defaulters to ensure that tax evaders clear their arrears to prevent their names being listed in the nonpayers’ list has also been given up.
When contacted, a senior corporation official said tax assessment had hit a technical glitch and would be sorted in a few days.
Regarding caste census getting delayed, another corporation official said the census work was almost over but would need another 10 days for compiling the collected data.