COIMBATORE: With just a year to go for the Assembly elections and the local body polls a few months later, stocktaking has begun in the Coimbatore Corporation.

An indication of this was provided early this year when councillors pointed out poor performance of the civic body in terms of development.

Proof of non-performance

From January, the Opposition consistently harped on the civic body's performance over the last three-and-a-half years. At successive Council meetings it listed out major schemes pending implementation for years as proof of non-performance.

Opposition leaders did not hide their fear of losing votes but tactfully described it as public resentment over lack of development.

The clearest indication yet of stocktaking came from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) councillor, C. Padmanabhan, at the Council meeting on April 29.

Incomplete works

Amid charges of irregularities in waste management, he contended that the Corporation had achieved nothing over the last eight years and more than 500 works remained incomplete as the civic body owed huge arrears to contractors.

Though officials said steps had been taken to release the dues, both Mr. Padmanabhan and the Leader of the Opposition and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member, K.P. Jagannathan, blamed them for the mounting arrears.

Very little time

The Opposition and ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members pointed out at every meeting to the Mayor, T. Malaravan, that very little time was left for the elections.

But schemes for underground sewers in more than 35 of the 72 wards and waste management for the entire city were yet to be implemented. A section of the councillors was sore over the delay in implementing the sewer scheme proposed in 1998.

They criticised the Corporation's move to collect connection deposit from the people though the Government was yet to clear the scheme.

When the Corporation was keen on collecting a deposit should it not take steps to have the scheme cleared soon, they asked.

Unapproved layouts

The stocktaking had never been complete without discussion of unapproved layouts. With 20 per cent of the city's 11 lakh people living in these layouts, their continuing plight clearly meant loss of a sizeable chunk of votes in the civic polls.

Opposition leaders asked why the Corporation delayed laying of drinking water lines in unapproved layouts despite all parties agreeing to it.

As for waste management, the Opposition criticised `shoddy' collection but did not speak out in favour of privatisation.

However, a major issue skipped by both the ruling and Opposition was the Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme to supply 125 million litres a day to the Corporation areas.

Problems to be addressed

Major schemes apart, opposition members said problems in drainage, streetlights and roads that occurred almost everyday needed to be addressed.

But there are a number of repair works that was yet to be carried out. Upset that they had to face the wrath of the public on this, the councillors accused officials of ignoring the Mayor's instructions and resolutions adopted in the Council.

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