Despite the state government and city corporation sanctioning over Rs 100 crore for the development of Ambattur, which was recently merged with Chennai corporation, a majority of the funds remain unutilised. The contractors are staying away from this zone and allege that councillors of the ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK demand exorbitant cut in the contract amounts.
“Earlier, squabbling between the AIADMK and DMK councillors affected basic works. After intervention by the corporation top brass, the situation improved, but as the councillors insist on a percentage on every civic work, the contractors are staying away,” a corporation engineer of Ambattur zone alleged.
“The zone has not conducted its ward committee meeting for seven months to look into basic works.
Though the corporation has sanctioned Rs 113 crore to develop the zone, the field reactions from ward representatives are not encouraging and not even 30 per cent of the sanctioned works have been completed,” he added.
“Nothing has changed after the merger. Road conditions have worsened,” alleged former Ambattur municipal chairman K.N. Sekar.
Ambattur and Avadi should have been merged into a separate corporation, he opined. A corporation official said fresh tenders for road works worth `190 crore are to be floated soon