Tambaram Corporation to prepare DPR to extend UGD coverage
CHENNAI: At the council meeting on Tuesday, Tambaram Corporation commissioner S Balachander announced that a fresh detailed project report (DPR) would be drawn up to extend UGD coverage. This was in response to complaints that deposits for underground drainage (UGD) connections were collected from residents in areas not covered in the existing scope of the project. He added that any deposits collected in areas where UGD work has not started will be refunded.
The commissioner also said that ward-wise coordination teams will be formed to address civic issues after councillors complained that there was a lack of coordination when carrying out large scale projects like underground drainage which cuts across multiple wards simultaneously.
He added that administrative sanction has been granted for stormwater drain works worth Rs 20 crore ahead of the North East monsoon this year. He informed the council that road development projects amounting to Rs 156 crore would commence shortly.
'Roads reflect the image of a city. Councillors must cooperate to ensure these projects are completed with quality,' he said. Responding to concerns on irregular waste management, Balachander said `32 crore had been earmarked for establishing a solid waste management centre, with construction expected to begin soon.
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Economic Times
41 minutes ago
- Economic Times
‘We don't have money and neither does Siddaramaiah': Karnataka Home Minister's joke triggers political storm
Agencies Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara What started as a light-hearted remark at a local public function has ballooned into a full-blown controversy for the Karnataka government. Home Minister G Parameshwara, speaking at the inauguration of a fire station in Badami on Monday, made an offhand joke that has now gone viral and stirred political mudslinging. During his address, he encouraged Congress MLA BB Chimmankatti to think ambitiously for the region's development—once the heart of the Chalukya dynasty. 'Draft a plan worth Rs 1,000 crore for the development of Badami assembly constituency and send it to the Union government. We don't have money, and neither does Siddaramaiah,' Parameshwara said. The crowd burst into laughter, but not everyone found it one sentence, delivered with a smile, has now become a lightning rod for didn't stop there. To drive the humour home, he added, 'After providing rice, lentils, and oil, the funds are depleted,' before gesturing towards Excise Minister RB Timmapur and saying, 'The 'enne' (liquor or excise) minister is right here.' That remark, too, drew chuckles at the event. But what was laughed off at the venue quickly turned into a political weapon online. The viral clip has dominated regional news, with opposition parties questioning whether the Congress-led state government is financially sound enough to deliver on its intense scrutiny, Parameshwara addressed the media on Tuesday to clarify his comments. 'I have not said like that, who said there is no money?' he said. 'I have defended the government, saying we have presented a record budget… as someone said things jokingly during the speech, I reacted in a similar fashion, that's all.'The minister insisted that the state is on firm fiscal ground. 'A sum of Rs 22,000 crore has been allocated for irrigation in the budget. Allocations have been made for the five guarantee schemes, and instructions have been made to prepare an action plan for Rs 50 crore in every constituency.'He added, 'I'm now saying officially that there is no financial distress in our government. I'm saying it very clearly. Sometimes, there may be a delay in the release of funds, as DPR and estimates have to be prepared before releasing money. There may be some delay in that; other than that, there is nothing else.'Despite the home minister's assurance, his now-infamous line—'We don't have the money, and neither does Siddaramaiah'—continues to echo across political has handed opposition parties an easy talking point as they raise doubts over the state's ability to fund its much-publicised welfare include key programmes promised by the Congress government, such as monthly cash transfers to women heads of households, free electricity, and guarantees of essential grains and food items to below-poverty-line the minister's defence may satisfy party loyalists, the incident has exposed how quickly political humour can backfire—especially when public welfare and fiscal management are under the the people of Karnataka, what matters most is whether development goals and social safety nets continue uninterrupted. The government has its task cut out: to reassure both the electorate and critics that behind the smiles, the budget figures still add up.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘We don't have money and neither does Siddaramaiah': Karnataka Home Minister's joke triggers political storm
What started as a light-hearted remark at a local public function has ballooned into a full-blown controversy for the Karnataka government . Home Minister G Parameshwara , speaking at the inauguration of a fire station in Badami on Monday, made an offhand joke that has now gone viral and stirred political mudslinging. During his address, he encouraged Congress MLA BB Chimmankatti to think ambitiously for the region's development—once the heart of the Chalukya dynasty. 'Draft a plan worth Rs 1,000 crore for the development of Badami assembly constituency and send it to the Union government. We don't have money, and neither does Siddaramaiah ,' Parameshwara said. The crowd burst into laughter, but not everyone found it funny. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo That one sentence, delivered with a smile, has now become a lightning rod for criticism. 'Funds are depleted,' he said, then laughed Parameshwara didn't stop there. To drive the humour home, he added, 'After providing rice, lentils, and oil, the funds are depleted,' before gesturing towards Excise Minister RB Timmapur and saying, 'The 'enne' (liquor or excise) minister is right here.' That remark, too, drew chuckles at the event. Live Events But what was laughed off at the venue quickly turned into a political weapon online. The viral clip has dominated regional news, with opposition parties questioning whether the Congress-led state government is financially sound enough to deliver on its promises. Clarification comes amid political firestorm Facing intense scrutiny, Parameshwara addressed the media on Tuesday to clarify his comments. 'I have not said like that, who said there is no money?' he said. 'I have defended the government, saying we have presented a record budget… as someone said things jokingly during the speech, I reacted in a similar fashion, that's all.' The minister insisted that the state is on firm fiscal ground. 'A sum of Rs 22,000 crore has been allocated for irrigation in the budget. Allocations have been made for the five guarantee schemes, and instructions have been made to prepare an action plan for Rs 50 crore in every constituency.' He added, 'I'm now saying officially that there is no financial distress in our government. I'm saying it very clearly. Sometimes, there may be a delay in the release of funds, as DPR and estimates have to be prepared before releasing money. There may be some delay in that; other than that, there is nothing else.' Welfare commitments under fresh scrutiny Despite the home minister's assurance, his now-infamous line—'We don't have the money, and neither does Siddaramaiah'—continues to echo across political discussions. It has handed opposition parties an easy talking point as they raise doubts over the state's ability to fund its much-publicised welfare guarantees. These include key programmes promised by the Congress government, such as monthly cash transfers to women heads of households, free electricity, and guarantees of essential grains and food items to below-poverty-line families. While the minister's defence may satisfy party loyalists, the incident has exposed how quickly political humour can backfire—especially when public welfare and fiscal management are under the microscope. For the people of Karnataka, what matters most is whether development goals and social safety nets continue uninterrupted. The government has its task cut out: to reassure both the electorate and critics that behind the smiles, the budget figures still add up.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Odisha seeks centre's support to emerge as a model in power sector
Bhubaneswar: Asserting that Odisha has successfully transitioned from a 'power-sufficient to a power-empowered' state, the government on Tuesday sought the Centre's support to build itself as a model in the electricity sector. Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, who is also in charge of the power department, said this at a conference of the energy ministers and secretaries of the eastern region, chaired by Union Power Minister Manoharlal, in Patna. "Odisha has successfully transitioned from a power-sufficient to a power-empowered state. The state's peak power demand of 6,242 MW has been fully met. By 2036, 61 per cent of Odisha's power portfolio is targeted to be from non-fossil sources," Singh Deo was quoted in a statement as saying. Singh Deo informed the gathering that the state plans to add a total of 11,294 MW by 2036, including solar, wind, hydro, distributed renewable energy (DRE), and pumped storage, out of which 3,904 MW has already been contracted. He said that Odisha has achieved Grid Resilience through Islanding Schemes to ensure uninterrupted power supply during grid failures. By 2030, Odisha will have 225 substations and 20,939 ckm (Circuit kilometer) of transmission lines with a total transformation capacity of 45,369 MVA (Megavolt-amperes), Singh Deo said. This apart, the minister said, the renewable power evacuation corridors are being developed. This included Hirakud-Kolabira-Duburi, Indravati-Theruvali-Gopalpur, Theruvali-Jayanagar 400kV LILO at Jayanagar pooling Station, Balimela to Kolab to Jayanagar Pooling Station. Singh Deo said that the AT&C (Aggregate Technical and Commercial) losses have reduced significantly from 29.5 per cent in FY21 to 16.5 per cent in FY25. Three out of four DISCOMs have received A+ ratings in the 12th and 13th Annual Rankings of Power Distribution Utilities and were among the top 10 performing utilities in India, he said. The minister sought proactive support from the Central government on key initiatives like sanction of Rs 6284 crore funds under the revamped distribution sector scheme, Central financial assistance for disaster-resilient power infrastructure, allocation of 800 MW power from the NLC Talabira Phase II project to Odisha and sanction of central financial assistance under Green Energy Transmission Corridor Projects in the state. This apart, the state government also sought the Centre's support for the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for Pumped Storage Projects (PSP) in line with Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), floating solar projects, and offshore wind projects in Odisha, along with support for a study of tidal potential on the state's coastline. PTI
