The Corporation council meeting under way in Tirunelveli on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Cutting across party lines, councillors of Tirunelveli Corporation criticised some of the senior officials of the urban civic body for reportedly not participating in area-level grievances redressal meetings organised every week.
Raising the issue at the council meeting held here on Thursday, DMK councillor and former chairman of Thatchanallur Zone P. Subramanian said the officials, who alone could provide the precise reply or solutions to the grievances being aired by the public, were wantonly avoiding the meetings and sending their juniors in their place. Even though the meetings were being organised to understand the area-level problems being encountered by the public, the senior officials were not keen on attending them.
“The senior officials do not want to have direct contact with the public, it seems,” said Mr. Subramnaian.
Endorsing his views, another DMK councillor Wilson Mani Durai said the lower-level officials participating in the meetings could not provide any effective and acceptable reply to the aggrieved petitioners.
AIADMK member S. Amudha wanted to know the petitions being submitted during the meetings.
Even as the officials maintained silence, Mayor G. Ramakrishnan said the Corporation would provide the right solution to the petitions being received from the public.
A similar evasive reply was given at the meeting when councillors raised the issue of drainage flowing from manholes of the underground drainage scheme due to blocks, and the work being executed at snail’s pace.
When Palayamkottai Zone chairman M. Francis wanted to know about the fate of the Murappanadu Combined Drinking Water Scheme, which was sanctioned by the government for the benefit of residents living in the periphery of Palayamkottai, Commissioner N.O. Sukhaputra said the physical work of the project would commence shortly as tenders were about to be awarded to the successful bidder.
Chairperson of Melapalayam Zone Kathija Iqlam Fazila exhorted the Corporation to ensure sufficient drinking water supply to mosques in Melapalayam area during Ramzan fasting.
Chairperson of Thatchanallur Zone Revathi said an impartial encroachment eviction drive should be undertaken to clear the illegal structures along the Tamirabharani watercourse in Ward 10 and re-lay the badly damaged Vellakovil Road.
She also said the Corporation should take immediate steps to fill up the vacancies in her Thathchanallur Zone.
When AIADMK councillor M. Chandrasekar complained that the Corporation’s step-motherly treatment had badly affected the proper functioning of ‘Amma Unavagam’, which were feeding the poor, labourers and the homeless at subsidised cost, the Mayor replied that the condition and functioning of all ‘Amma Unavagam’ in Tirunelveli Corporation was being studied through personal inspections and due steps were being taken to set things right.
“We love the scheme and, hence, we will not allow it to die,” he added.
When councillors Gogula Vaani and Rasool Maideen urged the Corporation to take effective steps to control stray dog menace, the officials said the animal birth control system would be revived shortly.
Published – January 30, 2025 06:18 pm IST