Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1970-1971 — Page 43

written off on the advice of the Legal Department while two cases were taken to court and $1,800 recovered. By 31st March, 1971, 21 outstand- ing cases involving a total of $24,150 remained to be paid by instal-

ments.

CHAPTER 8

WORKS DIVISION

ORGANIZATION

83. The Works Division's main task is the maintenance (both build- ing and electrical) of resettlement estates, factories, and cottage and licensed areas. The Division is organized into six sections which deal respectively with electrical matters; estates; development and main- tenance works in cottage and licensed areas, and minor public works in squatter areas; billing and computing; and general clerical matters. The sections concerned with factories and cottage/licensed areas are each under the control of a Resettlement Officer (Technical), and the officer responsible for cottage and licensed areas also has under his charge the drawing office and survey teams. The estates section is divided into three geographical districts, each under a Resettlement Officer (Technical). An Area Officer (Technical) is stationed in each estate to supervise the work carried out by the maintenance contractor or the department's own labour force.

ESTATES AND FACTORY SECTIONS

84. The department took over 17 new residential blocks, 8 govern- ment estate schools, 2 estate welfare buildings and 11 restaurant build- ings from the Public Works Department during the year, making a total of 497 residential blocks, 22 factory blocks, 50 government estate schools and 21 restaurant building maintained by the Works Division. Estate buildings suffer from considerable wear and tear because of the high population density, and 577 major and 103,943 minor repair jobs in estates and factories were carried out during the year as against 893 and 95,686 respectively last year. Expenditure on the maintenance of estates and factories amounted to $4,581,273. In addition to the day-to-day maintenance, the Division also carried out a considerable phased programme of work as well as carrying out repairs in estates caused by rainstorm damage, amounting to some $432,770.

29