CHENNAI: Police arrested the chiefs of the Nerkundram panchayat and Valasaravakkam municipality on charges of preventing government officials from carrying out their duty and for damaging public property amid rising complaints of official inaction in inundated areas, especially in the western suburbs of Chennai.

Police Commissioner R. Nataraj told newspersons on Monday that the Nerkundram Panchayat president, Mr. Paramasivam, allegedly put up blocks in residential colonies in Maduravoyal, resulting in heavy inundation of flood water, which otherwise would have drained into a nearby watercourse.

When the issue was brought to the notice of the authorities concerned, a team headed by the Ambattur Tahsildar started creating channels to drain the water. While doing so, they were allegedly threatened by Mr. Paramasivam, who abused them and did not allow them to complete the work, he said. Based on a complaint, Mr. Paramasivam was arrested.

Water logging

Similarly, at Valasaravakkam, people complained to the administrative authorities about water logging in their area. Officials immediately took up work to drain the water from the area. The locals informed the media about the immediate response from the Government officials. Angry over this, the municipal chairman, V. Madhiyazhagan, allegedly broke the sewer lines and damaged the roads, the Commissioner said.

Residents filed a complaint with the police, who arrested the panchayat president.

The two men had been remanded to custody, Mr. Nataraj said.

MLA's claim

Reacting to the development, the Villivakkam MLA, Mr. Napoleon, said the two panchayat chairmen were only carrying out work as directed by the Collector.

It was wrong to allege that they were obstructing officials from carrying out their duty. The police had showed undue haste in arresting the chairman who had been providing relief since the rain began, the MLA claimed.

DMK protest

The arrest of the two local body heads drew an angry protest from the DMK.

A party release contended that the arrests were made based on false allegations made by the AIADMK members, including a Minister, who were angry that relief works were being headed by the presidents.

The Tiruvallur district secretary of the party, E.A.P. Sivaji, claimed that the DMK's members and organisers were involved in flood and rain relief activity as the downpour was continuing for several days and the State machinery was not upto the mark.

On Wednesday, they were involved in draining out the inundated water, including measures to channelise the floodwater from Maduravoyal lake to the river Cooum.

But the local body leaders were arrested on false charges.

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