With local body elections a couple of months away, the pace of development works in the western part of Vadavalli (Ward 17) has surprised many, particularly the ruling party councillors from the AIADMK.
On condition of anonymity, the councillors say that work to rebuild the Pongali Street, develop the park in Tiruvalluvar Nagar, and construct new drainage in Karuppasamy Street are underway, though those places do not really need one.
For instance, the park in Tiruvalluvar Nagar was not so damaged so as to warrant a fresh round of development.
Minimal renovation was more than enough.
Likewise, a number of high-mast lights have come up in the area.
Sources close to the councillor B. Savithri said that 10 new borewells were sunk in the recent past in various localities in the ward and some of those works did not have the corporation council’s approval.
Ms. Savithri was not willing to comment on the issue.
The sources said that the flurry of works were to ready the ground for the party to field its mayoral candidate from the area and also to neutralise the edge the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had in the recent Assembly election.
Corporation officials in the area said that no work that did not have the civic body’s approval was being taken up in the area. The Pongali Street work was to build drainage. The council had approved of it in February this year.
Likewise, the other works that were in various stages of execution had the approval of the council.
And, if not the council, other fora like either the west zonal meeting or works committee of Finance and Taxation Committee.
