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More ward committees in the offing

Special Correspondent

It is a good concept that will help us keep our environs clean: councillor

FOR BETTER AMENITIES: Councillor of Ward 1 K.Chandrasekaran (second right) and Corporation officials hold a meeting with residents at RAAC's office in the city on Tuesday. - PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

COIMBATORE: The concept of ward committee for citizens' participation in city development seems to catch on among more people. Siruthuli, Residents' Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC), Kural, Karam and Citizens' Voice Club mooted more than a week ago the formation of committees in each of the 72 wards in the city, with the councillor as head and the public as members.

The first such committee was already formed in Ward 3 by Communist Party of India (Marxist) councillor C. Padmanabhan. The committee also met to discuss the development needs of the ward.

Now, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam councillor K. Chandrasekaran has evinced interest in forming a similar committee in his Ward 1. He and some residents from his ward held a meeting with the office-bearers of RAAC on Tuesday to discuss ways to clear garbage, remove silt in storm water drains and close potholes on roads.

Need felt

Mr. Chandrasekaran said that the benefits of forming such a committee, the role of the public in keeping the city clean and how the elected members could lead such initiatives in each area were discussed. Though a decision to form a committee could be taken only after obtaining the views of the people in his ward, the need for a joint initiative for development was deeply felt.

"I requested the RAAC members to come to those areas in our ward where the conditions are bad," he said.

"Ward committee is a good concept that will help us keep our environs clean. At present, we face shortage of conservancy workers in the Corporation and this has hit removal of garbage."

The ward had a population of 25,000 and 58 streets had to be maintained. "We need garbage bins to store waste and prevent it from being dumped on the road. And, awareness among the public on proper disposal methods is also needed. That is why we have requested RAAC to talk to our people," the councillor said. On when he would form the ward committee, Mr. Chandrasekaran said he had already divided his ward into four zones and engaged a person in each of them to inform him of the problems across the ward. Now, this could be merged with the ward committee after it was formed.

Basic issues

RAAC vice-president G. Soundararajan said these were three basic issues that would be taken up by the ward panel and also his organisation in every ward.

The primary aim in each ward is to replicate RAAC's clean environs model created in other areas so far under the Alagana Kovai drive.

The Chairman of the Coimbatore Corporation's East Zone, S.M. Samy, said he was keen on forming such committees in all the 18 wards in his zone. "But, I cannot force this idea on others. I can start this in my ward (No.6) and it will spread when people compete to keep their areas clean."

Mr. Samy said he asked RAAC office-bearers after the local body elections to extend Alagana Kovai programme to his ward. Forming the committee and carrying out garbage removal under the programme in the other wards was left to their councillors. "But, it will be good if the councillors and the public show interest in forming the committees to work for improvements to their areas."

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