‘Buried’ hand pump: Vellore Corp contractor arrested for damage to public property

VELLORE: A day after a hand pump got buried under concrete mixture during the construction of a sewage channel in Vellore, the district police arrested the contractor on Thursday. Surendar Babu (49) of Kalaspalayam in Vellore was held under the provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and IPC.

Minister for Water resources Durai Murugan said, “The AIADMK government had given the contract to the man, a party supporter. He lacked experience to take up such a work.” The minister assured of a rework at the spot and said a proper road would be laid there.

The slip-up came to light on Wednesday as workers did not displace the pump, which was in the path of an under-construction sewage channel on 2nd Street at Vijayaragavapuram in Sathuvachari, and eventually buried it with concrete with only its top part jutted out of ground.

The incident set the social media abuzz with many criticising the Vellore City Municipal Corporation (VCMC), which had taken up the work under its Smart City project. Meanwhile, Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar cancelled the contract and assistant commissioner (in-charge) of zone-II Senthil Kumar lodged a police complaint.

Based on the complaint, the Sathuvachari police registered a case under section 3 (mischief causing damage to public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 430 (mischief by injury to works of irrigation or by wrongfully diverting water) of the IPC, and arrested the contractor.
It is to be noted that a similar incident had taken place in the corporation about a month ago when a two-wheeler was cemented to the ground while a road was being laid.