CHENNAI: In a bid to make city streets safer at night, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is installing 9,152 new lamp posts in the city. At present, 6,625 (72%) posts have already been installed, said the corporation.
Other than new lamp posts, the civic body has also taken up fittings (bulbs and brackets) on 8,443 posts. The project to light up the city streets is funded by the Nirbhaya Scheme. Recently, the civic body awarded contracts to 10 private agencies for the maintenance of street lights in Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Tondiarpet, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Alandur and Perungudi zones. The contract is for the maintenance of 1.77 lakh street light posts and 200 high mast street lights.
As part of the contract, the corporation has proposed to penalise the contractors if the street lights have not been repaired within 24 hours of receiving a complaint. If the street lights have not been repaired beyond 24 hours, 5% of total cost per pole/year {(tender value)/total no of street lamp post + no of the high mast)} per day will be recovered from the contractor until the issue is rectified. The fines will be raised for lights that have not been fixed after 48 hours of receiving a complaint. Contractors will also be penalised between `1,200-1,400 per person for a shortage of labour.
Projects under the Nirbhaya Scheme have been getting a push by the civic body recently. Sanitary napkins have been distributed to girl students of 159 city schools. “We are also in the process of creating safe toilets for girl students in corporation’s girls schools with the sanctioned cost of `18 crore,” said a senior corporation official. As part of the safe toilets initiative, 99 toilets have been taken up in the first phase and another 93 toilets will be taken up in the second phase.