TAMBARAM : Deciding that it is time to play a greater and more direct role in improving the quality of life in their local body, nine members of civic groups have jumped into the fray to contest elections to councillor posts in Pammal Municipality.

Free from political affiliations, the nine Independents are members of the Federation of Pammal and Nagalkeni Residents Welfare Association, Pammal-Nagalkeni Tax Payers Association and Pammal Exnora Innovators Club.

Youngest

The youngest among them is 32-year-old R. Sundaresan working in a private company and contesting from ward No. 3 on the 'wrist watch' symbol, while the oldest is M. Singaram, 70, a retired Central Government employee contesting from ward No. 7 on `gas cylinder' symbol.

There are 21 wards in this local body upgraded as a third-grade municipality from a town panchayat last year.

On the decision to field so many candidates, office-bearers of the various associations said they were fooled by false promises of political parties during the civic polls in 2001.

According to the residents, in the past some of them took leave for two weeks to canvass for the partymen, who turned their back after they secured important posts in the municipality.

While politicians assured to protect the Thirupananthaal Lake, the only surviving water body in Pammal today, they only tried their best to ruin it, the residents charged.

Protection of the lake was probably the single most agenda for the residents to contest as Independents. Everytime they took an initiative to improve civic amenities, councillors belonging to prominent political parties made sure their efforts did not succeed.

Intensive campaign

The residents, most of them pensioners, have been carrying on an intensive door-to-door campaign seeking votes.

The pamphlet they distribute to voters contains a list of achievements and successes of the civic groups, which included, among others, protection of the lake after overcoming several obstacles, obtaining a stay on hike in water charges, getting an order from the Green Bench of the Madras High Court on preventing open spaces as garbage burning yards and protecting a few open spaces from land grabbers.

And their promises are simple: ensuring water connections to all households, implementation of the underground sewage network, proper maintenance of Thirupananthaal Lake, a transparent and corruption-free administration of the Pammal Municipality.

Contestants

The contestants include A. J. Madan Gopal, 55, (ward No.1), pensioner, contesting on `coconut tree' symbol, K. Rajeswari Kabaleeshwaran, 50 (ward No.2), housewife, 'chair', P. Selvam, 55, (ward No.4), supervisor `ladies handbag' and R. Jayalakshmi Sundaresan, former employee of TNEB (ward No.5), 'chair'.

S. Chandrashekaran, 63, pensioner, vice-president of the Federation, (ward No.8), 'diamond', A. P. Deiva Sahayam, former employee of English Electric, (ward No.11), 'tap,' and G. Sasikala, retired teacher, (ward No.17), `globe.'

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