CHENNAI: MLA S Ve Sekhar’s tariff war with Corporation

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on July 6, 2010:

CHENNAI: Revenue Department officials in Chennai Corporation’s Adyar zone are in a fix after one of them was asked to pay from his pocket Rs 13,500 that was due from Mylapore MLA S Ve Sekhar for renting the civic body’s guesthouse for four days.

Now that the first-quarter revenue statement is up for audit, a top official at Ripon Building reportedly told the staff concerned to cough up the amount and collect it later from the MLA, so that there would not be any audit objection to the accounts.

According to sources, Sekhar had booked all four rooms at the guesthouse on Greenways Road in Raja Annamalai Puram in early April for four days.

The deluxe guesthouse with modern facilities is for delegates and VIPs who come on official visits from other corporations, but may be rented out for Rs 800 per day for a room to MLAs or civic body councillors who make a written request.

When the guesthouse in-charge asked Sekhar to pay the total rent of Rs 13,500, including miscellaneous expenses of Rs 700, Sekhar refused, saying the charges were exorbitant. Sources in the Corporation said the MLA warned two revenue officers, who visited his home to collect the amount, that he would take up the issue at a higher level.

Sekhar on his part admitted he had defaulted on the amount, but claimed it was to bring to the Corporation’s notice the lack of transparency. “They did not inform me in advance about the charges. They failed to explain to me how they calculated the charges and arrived at Rs 13,500,” said Sekhar.