In a statement released today, Ms Jayalalithaa said that it was the primary duty of the corporation administration to provide the basic amenities required by the people such as roads, public transportation, supply of drinking water, solid waste management, and underground drainage. However, a totally contrary situation prevailed in Salem corporation.  

She pointed out that a sum of 149.39 crore rupees was allocated during her tenure to implement the underground drainage scheme in Salem corporation. Though nearly four and a half years had passed since the minority DMK government had assumed office, the scheme continued to remain in the stage of seeking tenders. However advertisements had been released in newspapers that the Chief minister had laid the foundation stone for the project and that the deputy chief minister had inaugurated the project. Now that contract had been canceled and an order had been issued that all tenders valued over one crore rupees would be received only at the state secretariat in Chennai. From this itself, the people can easily understand the extent to which atrocities and irregularities would have taken place in seeking tenders for the underground drainage scheme for Salem corporation.  

The policy note of the govrnment had stated that the seperate drinking water project would be taken up for implementation in 2008-2009. The policy note for 2009-2010 too had declared that the project would be taken up for implementation in that year. However, the works on the projects had not been taken up till date. At the same time, citing the drinking water project as a reason, the corporation management had hiked the deposit amount and the water usage charges. Under such circumstances , drinking water was being supplied to Salem city only once in ten day. But the government has advertised that the chief minister had laid the foundation stone for this scheme as well.  

From this it was clear that schemes are being announced under the minority DMK government only with the objective of getting Karunanidhi and his son's name engraved on plaques at various places and not with the intention of fulfilling any of the projects.  

Ms Jayalalithaa said that the people of the Salem city were charging that the Salem corporation had not been functioning properly in the past four years and that basic services required by the people such as distribution of drinking water, removal of garbage and laying of roads had not been taken up and that sanitation had degenerated throughout the city. They were further charging that along with the power cuts they were plagued by the mosquitoe menace and therefore were not even able to get peaceful sleep. This apart she was also receiveing reports that the Corporation employees were being paid salaries only after the 15th of each month and that the amounts due to the contractors had not been paid for several months.  

Ms Jayalalithaa said that the people were charging that members of the DMK had chased away 31 families living in privately owned land in the Angalammaal colony in Salem city and had occupied that land through violence. A resolution had been adopted in the Salem corporation council to create road facility to the illegally occupied land from the Omalur main road, without mentioning the area by name. The people of the area were questioning as to how road can be laid from the corporation funds to a peice of land that was grabbed through violence and that to through private property.  

Ms Jayalalithaa announced that a massive protest fast would be held on behalf of the Salem city district unit of the AIADMK on the 9th of this month to condemn the atrocities, irregularities and anti people actions of the minority DMK governent  and to urge the minority DMK government to provide the basic amenties including underground drainage and drinking water required by the people. She said that the protest fast would be led by the party organising secretary S Semmalai in the presence of the Salem city district party secretary M K Selvaraj.  

Ms Jayalalithaa asked AIADMK functionaries of the Salem city district, district office bearers, functionaries of the various wings of the party, local body representatives and party cadres to participate in the protest fast in large numbers.  

She appealed to the people to participate in the protest fast which has been organised for a cause of public welfare.