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More funds sought for Pondy municipality

Special Correspondent

First council meeting asks for Rs. 10 lakh a year for 42 wards

Pondicherry: The Pondicherry municipality on Thursday appealed to the administration to sanction more grants to improve civic amenities.

Chairperson B. Sridevi presided over the first meeting, which was attended by all 42 councillors. Municipal Commissioner S.Z. Saverirajan read out the resolutions, which were adopted unanimously.

The meeting urged the Government to sanction Rs. 10 lakh for development work annually to each of the 42 wards. The total quantum of grant available annually would become Rs 5.40 crore (the Government is now providing Rs. 1.20 crore to the municipality). Another resolution projected requirement of Rs. 1 crore per month towards salary, allowances, assistance and pension to officers and staff of the municipality. The council requested the Government to make available Rs. 12 crore a year as grant.

The meeting also requested the Government to bear the heavy expenditure on streetlights, illumination to parks and other public places. The amount available from the Government to meet the power bill was not sufficient and the municipality had to settle Rs. 3 crore as arrears. The recurrent expenditure totalled to Rs 2.5 crore a year. The meeting pointed out that the posts of Municipal Health Officer, Revenue Officers II and I and Assistant Engineer had been lying vacant for a long time and the chairperson should be given powers to constitute a selection committee to fill up the vacancies.

Grants were also sought for the upkeep of the city.

Allowances

A request for Rs. 12,000 as allowance to councillors towards conveyance and telephone expenditure and rent for their offices was made. The meeting recalled the services of former Mayors and erstwhile members of the municipality.

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