Articles by VS Jayaraman

In August/September this year, Chennai resident Rajiv attempted to update his name in the property tax records of his flat in Chromepet. The Tambaram City Municipal Corporation (TCMC) rejected his online application and asked him to file the papers offline. He was also told to pay Rs10,000 towards the charges for a name change. Finding this amount excessive, he brought the issue to the attention of the press. A local reporter investigated the matter and contacted the TCMC Commissioner, who allegedly disputed the high fees at first. However, after consulting officials, he later confirmed that such a fee is mandatory, per…

The Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act, 2022 is a new legislation that could potentially safeguard the interest of apartment owners and improve the administration of common areas and facilities.  It has been stated that every apartment should get registered under the new Act. While the legislation was notified recently, the Government is yet to come out with the rules and regulations for the Act.  Some important considerations of apartment owners must be taken into account and reflected in the rules for the aim of the legislation to be met. Stakeholder inputs on Apartment Ownership Act  While framing the rules under…

Many commuters in Chennai, especially senior citizens, take the buses as they are the cheapest mode of transport available.  The launch of the senior citizens travel scheme where we are provided ten coupons per month has certainly come as a relief to those who rely on the city’s buses. While this is a welcome move, there is certainly scope for improvements to the scheme that can make it more widely accessible.  Read more: Resources to help senior citizens through the COVID lockdown Travails of taking MTC buses in Chennai Poor fleet strength, irregular frequency in timings and rickety conditions of…

As we cover the COVID-19 outbreak in the city, we also asked various individuals, citizen groups and RWAs to explain how they have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis. In this piece, a senior citizen relates his experience during the lockdown. I'm not at all affected by the lockdown necessitated by the Covid-19 scare because, as a retired person, I am already under some sort of a lockdown. However, in the present situation, I am unable to perform some of my routine activities like going to the bank, park, temples and making occasional visits to other places.  So far, I have not…

Following complaints from several residents against revision of property tax by the Greater Chennai Corporation [GCC] for the period 2017-18, in addition to the general revision for the period 2018-19, the Motilal Street Residents' Welfare Association approached officials to ascertain the reasons for such selective revision for some properties. This revision of tax for the period 2017-18 was implemented along with the general revision for the period 2018-19. We were told that the revision for 2017-18 was on account of the change in the occupancy of the premises -- that is from owner to tenant. However, upon analysis of the…

One of the older and more populous neighbourhoods, T Nagar is at the focus of several initiatives under the smart cities mission in the city, with many of smart city projects dedicated to its improvement. However, in a case of what is called missing the forest for the trees, a skywalk proposed to decongest the busy Ranganathan street may merely end up creating new infrastructure that most residents deem unnecessary. A  safety hazard in the making When one talks of encroachment of public places, T Nagar stands as a prime example. Ranganathan Street which is a 30-feet road, has been…

The newly introduced Dial for Water 2.0 scheme by the Metro Water Department is being billed as the panacea for long delays in  water supply, but it could be a classic case of the cure turning out to be worse than the disease. As per the new scheme, one has to make an on-line payment while booking is made.  This means that only those who have the wherewithal to make on-line payment can make the bookings. The new scheme says it will not allow a consumer to make further bookings if he does not confirm receipt of the previous supply…