The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : DMK, Left parties flay ban on recruitment of staff

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Friday, May 06, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

DMK, Left parties flay ban on recruitment of staff

Staff Reporter

Garbage removal mechanism draws flak from councillors

DISORDER OF THE DAY: AIADMK councillors trying to drive a point at the Corporation council meeting held in the city on Thursday. Photo: S.James.

MADURAI: : The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Communist parties staged a walkout from the Corporation council meeting on Thursday protesting "non-allocation" of funds to the Madurai Corporation by the State Government and ban on recruitment for government jobs.

During a discussion on shortage of manpower in the local body for carrying out various day-to-day works, the City Engineer, K. Sakthivel, said there was a ban on recruitment. The CPI (M) leader, S. Mahalingam, along with his party members walked out of the hall "protesting against the cruel act." The CPI member, M. Saravanan, followed suit.

Mr. Sakthivel clarified that there was a ban on only direct recruitment of staff and officials. However, recruiting employees on contract basis was going on, he said.

Later, the DMK leader, P. Packianathan, led his party men out of the hall shouting slogans, protesting "non-allocation of adequate funds from the State Government to carry out development works by the Corporation."

Earlier, the council witnessed a brief pandemonium, when the DMK members objected to All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader, S.D. Jeyabalan, uttering the name of the former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi. The Mayor, C. Ramachandran, said Mr. Jeyabalan should have called him either "former Chief Minister or the DMK president, instead of Karunanidhi."

The solid waste management of the local body came in for sharp criticism from members cutting across party lines. Mr. Mahalingam was supported by the Independent, M.R. Manickam, and a few DMK members on the issue of non-removal of garbage for days together.

The burning of garbage in Sammattipuram garbage collection centre posed health hazard to the people in the vicinity, they said. The dumper bins were not cleared.

There was no coordination between the Engineering section and the Health department, the councillors went on. While the officials from Health department claimed that the dumper placers were under repair, the engineering officials contradicted it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, P.K. Ramalingam, wanted the Corporation to implement the council resolution that permitted the local body to provide free drinking water connections to places of worship.

When Mr. Sakthivel said that only on production of a certificate from the Collector, that the place of worship was recognised by the Government, could water connections be given. The DMK members said the procedure undermined the powers of the council.

The Mayor asked the officials to get the Collector's permission for all pending applications seeking water connections. The DMK member, S. Jegannathan, wondered as to why the officials were not implementing the council resolution that ordered for re-location of water taps in the front portion of residences and commercial buildings.

"While residents are complying, the officials are letting away commercial establishments, especially hotels and lodges, where illegal suction of water is rampant," he said.

The members did not buy the officials' suggestion of fixing flow control valves, but insisted on re-locating the taps.

The Corporation Commissioner, D.J. Dinakkaren was appreciated by members from almost all parties for the elaborate arrangements made during the Chithirai festival.

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