Opposite Parties Councillors Staging Protest
Councillors of the Communist parties and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam staging a protest in the Coimbatore Corporation Council on Monday. Charges of civic body funds being deposited in a bank in Tiruchi, irregularities in the preparation of detailed project reports and allegations of inaction on shortage of staff dominated the special meeting of the Coimbatore Corporation Council on Monday to discuss infrastructure schemes under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Councillors of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) clashed over the issue of shortage of staff. The DMK pointed out the ban on recruitment during the AIADMK regime, when the latter’s leader on the Council P. Rajkumar accused the Corporation of inaction on the shortage of staff. This led to heated exchange of words between the councillors of both the parties. “Without the required number of staff, how can the Corporation prove it can perform?”
When Mr. Rajkumar accused the Corporation of deceiving the people by holding back information on the schemes, Mayor R. Venkatachalam pointed out that the AIADMK had not attended any of the meetings held earlier to explain the schemes to the people through the councillors. The Mayor accused the AIADMK of being a hurdle to implementing the schemes. A bitter attack was to come later in the form of a charge by Communist Party of India (Marxist) member and Corporation North Zone Chairman C. Padmanabhan that the DMK and the Congress were responsible for the schemes not taking off even after three years of the seven-year mission period having elapsed. (The Mayor belongs to the Congress and the DMK is its ally.)
Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra said this meeting was organised to explain the status of the schemes. It was also aimed at identifying the problems in each of them and discuss how they could be solved. Alleging misuse of funds in the Rs.96-crore solid waste management project, Mr. Padmanabhan demanded a probe into it. He also wanted the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board to implement the Rs.113-crore Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme.
Later, the AIADMK joined the CPI (M) and the Communist Party of India in demanding why the Corporation’s funds had been deposited in a bank in Tiruchi. Alleging misuse of funds, the parties demanded either a confirmation or a firm denial from the officials. The councillors reacted by squatting in the Council and raising slogans when they found that the replies were not convincing. Leader of the Opposition and DMK member V.N. Udayakumar’s comment that this was a result of a newly-formed alliance drew sharp criticism.
At this juncture, DMK member and South Zone Chairman P. Pynthamil also told the Mayor that the DMK also wanted to know whether funds were deposited in a bank in Tiruchi. Assistant Commissioner (Accounts) S. Gomathivinayagam brought records to the Council to show that no such deposit had been made. The DMK and Congress members asked the Communist parties and the AIADMK to withdraw the allegation of misuse of funds. As for shortage of staff, the Commissioner said 29 of the allotted 52 posts for the JNNURM wing had been filled. Efforts were being made to get the other staff members. After the retirement of the Superintending Engineer (heading the wing), the Corporation had taken up the issue of replacement with the State Government.
