The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Opposition councillors walk out of meeting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 14, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Opposition councillors walk out of meeting

Staff Reporter

The Bill to allow council meetings once in three months has the Opposition up in arms `Government is systematically reducing the powers of local bodies' The Bill to allow council meetings once in three months has the Opposition up in arms

CHENNAI: A row over the Government's decision to amend the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, to hold the council meeting once every three months led to a walkout by the Opposition at the Corporation Council meeting on Wednesday.

Later, the Deputy Mayor, R. Thiagarajan, evicted the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members when they entered into heated exchanges with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam councillors over the unfinished Perambur flyover project.

There were lighter moments before the Council was called to order as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Councillors, M. Gomathi and Devi, entered the hall wrapped in mosquito nets. Their explanation: Mosquito menace in their localities made life miserable for them. They wanted to draw the Council's attention to the issue.

The Opposition leader, C.V. Malayan, tried to raise the issue of the MCMC Act amendment Bill placed in the Assembly on Monday but the AIADMK members resisted. The DMK councillors walked out, followed later by the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist parties, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Independents.

The Opposition councillors said that the Government was systematically reducing the powers of local bodies. By convening council meetings only every three months, important issues and civic problems would not be highlighted immediately.

Perambur flyover

DMK councillors wanted to know about the fate of the Perambur flyover project. They said that the reply furnished by the civic body at the House did not reveal if the single judge inquiry commission, set up to probe the alleged irregularities in the construction, wanted the work to stop or it was done following instructions from the Chief Minister or any other minister. The commission's report, tabled at the Assembly about two years ago, was yet to be made public, they said.

During zero hour, the BJP floor leader, P.S.S. Dhanushkodi, wanted the Town Planning Department to undertake a survey of tall buildings that are not stable, in the wake of the recent building collapse in Santhome.

This was necessary because Chennai fell under the seismic zone. The drive against unauthorised buildings should also be stepped up.

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