The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : In Ambattur municipality, a game of musical chairs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 06, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

In Ambattur municipality, a game of musical chairs

K. Lakshmi, J. Malarvizhi

Frequent change of commissioners hits works

CHENNAI: The fifth Ambattur commissioner — who held charge for just six months — has been transferred, bringing several development works in the local body to a standstill. The municipality has had five commissioners and two municipal commissioners in the past five years.

Official sources note that the officer recently brought in from Kumbakonam, who is the sixth such commissioner, is likely to be returned to his previous posting (at Kumbakonam) soon. Residents complain that the frequent change of commissioners is adversely affecting development.

"Ambattur Municipality has come to a standstill," said an irate resident of Netaji Nagar, S. Bose. As president of the welfare association in the area, he has seen contractors hesitant to take up works for the underground drainage system given with two-year-old estimates. "Material prices will only continue to rise. Meanwhile, it will take the new person time to settle down and give orders," he said.

Internal politics and lack of co-operation among municipality officials has put work in the municipality on hold, he said.

A local councillor said that municipal commissioners should be posted in a local body for at least three years.

However, the commissioners in Ambattur were frequently changed, citing various reasons.

One of the commissioners was reportedly suspended a few days before his retirement and his retirement orders are pending.

The new commissioner (yet to be appointed) also has several complaints against him, the councillor added.

G. Abyvarghese is a resident of Senthil Nagar, which falls under Chennai. "We have all facilities, while Ayyappan Nagar, which is adjacent to our colony and falls under Ambattur Municipality, doesn't have a road or drainage facilities."

The road was sanctioned two years ago but was yet to be laid, he said.

Rajagopalan, resident, Ambattur, said that all work was at a standstill. "After the flooding following the heavy rains last year, some jalli (gravel) was dumped for relaying roads," he said,

"Work has not yet started. There is no shortage of funds but they are lying unused."

With elections for local bodies coming up in October, no tenders can be called for after the dates are announced, possibly some time in September.

K. Rukmangadhan, chairman of the Ambattur council, said that internal politics did not affect the transfer of commissioners.

The municipality's new commissionerate has been unused for several months now despite all work being completed.

No date had been fixed for its inauguration, he said.

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