Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Will civic issues get priority?

By Karthik Subramanian

CHENNAI SEPT. 29. The Chennai Corporation council will convene at the Ripon Buildings on Monday, for its first meeting after the violence-ridden session on August 29, with the political developments once again threatening to defeat the civic agenda.

The walkout by the DMK and the Congress from the business advisory committee meeting on Thursday threatens to cast its shadow over the meeting. In particular, the Congress councillors are enraged at the AIADMK for not yet recognising them in their renewed strength in the council after the TMC merger.

"We have sent several representations to both the Deputy Mayor and the Commissioner to allot us a party office at Ripon Buildings. We have not even been intimated of any change in seating arrangement from the treasury to the opposition benches," said Congress floor leader, R.Mano.

So far, six persons including the former TMC floor leader, P.Vetrivel, have crossed over to AIADMK. One irritating factor for most of the Congress councillors now is the retention of the previous TMC party office by Mr.Vetrivel. It has been made the Town Planning Committee office, which is headed by Mr.Vetrivel and the adjoining room, previously allotted by the committee has been transformed into a computer storehouse.

The council meetings that have been conducted by the Deputy Mayor after the unseating of M.K.Stalin have been marred by violence and frequent disruptions.

The recent move by the AIADMK, BJP, CPI, CPI (M) and few other members of the business advisory committee empowering `Karate' R.Thiagarajan to `enforce' discipline during council meetings have evinced interest on whether the watch and ward staff will be pressed into action on Monday.

Mr.Thiagarajan himself has been evicted from the council during the previous regime. It now remains to be seen if any political scores are settled, even while the Deputy Mayor has been insisting that he would be fair in his actions.

One striking aspect of recent council meetings has been the ineffective ways of the floor leaders in controlling their party councillors. Be it Mr.Thiagarajan, V.Sukumarbabu (AIADMK) or C.V.Malayan (DMK), there has been little or no regard for their words when it comes to controlling situation.

Even the presence of the watch and ward staff and other security personnel has been eye-wash, as the council proceedings have frequently plunged into acrimony.

Only a few councillors of the likes of independent candidate, Susheela Gopalakrishnan and BJP floor leader, PSS.Dhanushkodi have been forthcoming in dicussing civic issues in the politically charged circumstances.

For most councillors, creating a ruckus has become a means to stay in media attention. "We will definitely think of a way to protest. That seems to be the best way to stay in the news and please political higher-ups," a councillor said at a press briefing in Ripon Building recently.

Even while the council gets transformed into a political arena to settle scores, several civic issues have been put on the back-burner. During the previous two council meetings, several important resolutions including the handing over of several roads from the civic agency to highways department, have been passed without any debates or discussions.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Chennai Corporation bid to curb `cutting' culture
• Trains arrive behind schedule
• Will civic issues get priority?
• Social security teams introduced in Washermanpet police dt.
• Judge to inspect council hall

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu