Acharyulu complaint not valid: Stalin

By R. K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI, JULY 9. The Chennai Mayor, Mr. M. K. Stalin, today threw the book at the Corporation Commissioner, Mr. J. T. Acharyulu, and questioned how the chief executive of the civic body could enter into a communication with the State Government without his assent. It was on a complaint from Mr.Acharyulu, on June 29, that the Government issued a show-cause notice, aided by Section 44-A of the Madras City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919, asking why the Council should not be superseded.

``The MCMC Act says any communication to the State Government should be routed through me. This was flouted by the Commissioner,'' Mr. Stalin said.

Section 37, part (2), of the Section says ``no official correspondence between the Corporation and the State Government shall be conducted except through the Mayor.''

The reply to the Government notice was being examined in the light of the fact that the Commissioner's complaint itself did not have any legal validity, the Mayor said and added he had not yet seen it. ``Right now we are discussing various aspects of the issue with legal experts. A proper reply will be drafted and approved by the Council soon.'' he added.

When contacted, the Commissioner said it was not the practice to route all communication through the Mayor. ``From the Corporation side thousands of communication go to the Government. All these have traditionally not gone through the Mayor,'' the Commissioner said contending that he did not need the backing of an Act for his action.

On its part, the MAWS department said it had merely acted on information made available to it. ``Even then the reply was addressed to the Mayor, to be conveyed to the council,'' an official said. ``The department at no point went beyond its powers,'' the official added.

Mr. Acharyulu met Mr. Stalin for 12 minutes in the Mayor's chamber. Mr.Stalin later said he asked Mr. Acharyulu how a communication was sent to the Government without the Mayor's consent. ``Mr.Acharyulu did not have a reply,'' the Mayor said. When asked, Mr.Acharyulu said there was no such question from the Mayor.

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