Absence of budget announcement regretted Councillors participating in the ordinary monthly meeting of the Vellore Corporation Council here on Wednesday urged the State government to implement the Integrated Drinking Water Scheme for Vellore district, for which the foundation was laid by former Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin early this year. P.P. Jayaprakash (Congress), 9th ward councillor, urged the government to implement the Rs.1,295-crore Integrated Drinking Water Scheme for Vellore district, for which the foundation was laid by Mr. Stalin on January 25, 2011, under which water is to be brought from the Cauvery river near Mettur in Salem district. Tenders for executing the work were floated during the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime. But, after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam came to power, the new government has not evinced interest in the scheme, Mr. Jayaprakash said. He regretted that no amount has been sanctioned for the scheme in the Tamil Nadu Budget for 2011-12. The Congress would launch an agitation if the government dropped the scheme, he said. Sathiyamoorthy (DMK), councillor, said that as water is a basic need of people and, therefore, a sensitive issue, the government would have to incur the wrath of the people if it decided to drop the scheme just because it was launched by the DMK regime, he said. N.A. Balasundaram, councillor (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam), said drinking water problem is very acute in his ward. The Corporation has failed to take steps to address water scarcity, he said. Municipal Engineer and Commissioner-in-charge Devakumar said there is problem in ensuring regular supply of water owing to power failure. “Once the power problem is solved, the Corporation will be able to restore supply of water once in four or five days,” he said. Shanmugam (AIADMK) said that he was given to understand that two motors had become defective in the water supply headworks in Ponnai. He alleged apathy on part of the Corporation in rectifying defects and ensuring normal water supply. Mr. Devakumar said two new wells are being dug in Ponnai to tide over the water problem. G. Gopi alias Gopalakrishnan (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) said water is being supplied in his ward without any prior intimation at 11.30 p.m. when residents are asleep, as a result of which they could not fetch water. He wanted water supply to be given during the daytime. P. Karthikeyan, Mayor of Vellore, who was in the chair, asked the Commissioner to take steps to supply water during daytime. Rani (DMK) complained that there is no drinking water supply in her ward. Besides, anti-mosquito chemical spraying was not undertaken in her ward and streetlights were not also functioning. Mr. Jayaprakash said the anti-mosquito chemical used by the Corporation is not effective. V. Govindan, Corporation Health Officer (CHO), said the Vellore Corporation was using anti-mosquito chemical as per the decision of the Tamil Nadu government, which, in turn, got the list of chemicals from the Centre. K. Srinivasa Gandhi (Congress), 25th ward councillor, said delivery cases are not being attended to at the Urban Health Post (UHP) in Lakshmipuram in Salavanpet. Pregnant women from Lakshmipuram are asked to go to the Maternity and Child Health (MCH) Centre in Saidapet. Dr. Govindan said that after maternity assistant attached to the UHP in Lakshmipuram retired from service, the vacancy has not been filled. Only minimum deliveries are being done at the UHP in Lakshmipuram with the help of maternity assistants deputed from other UHPs and MCH centres. That is the reason for pregnant women being asked to go to the MCH centre in Saidapet, he said. The Mayor asked the CHO to take steps to undertake deliveries regularly in the UHP in Lakshmipuram. If necessary, the Corporation could engage the services of private doctors on contract basis, he said. Babu (Congress) wanted the Corporation to remove encroachments on Kripananda Variar Road (Long Bazaar) to ensure free flow of traffic on the road which has been damaged due to laying of pipelines for the underground drainage scheme. Kannan, Town Planning Officer (TPO), said police are declining to provide protection while removing encroachments. The encroachers could be evicted if police could give protection, he said. The Mayor asked the TPO to take steps to remove the encroachments after the Vinayaka Chathurthi festival is over.