Coimbatore Consumer Cause has written to the State Government to arrive at some norms for inclusion in the Corporation of officials in local bodies to be merged.
In a release to the Secretary to the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, K. Kathirmathiyon, Secretary, said that executive officers of town panchayats to be merged with the Corporation were not ready to be a part of the expanded Corporation as they felt that their powers might be curtailed and that they might to be forced to work as junior officers in such a big local body. At present they enjoyed enormous powers by virtue of being the head of a local body, however small. Such an attitude among the officers resulted in they seeking transfers. In a particular case, an official managed a transfer within two days of assuming office in a local body. The people of the local bodies suffered as daily work suffered and without access to officials.Those transferred to the local bodies felt punished as they too were reluctant to be a part of the Corporation.
The newly posted officials had started trying for transfers. To overcome the problem, the State Government should follow some norms, he had said and suggested that the officials' consent be obtained before they were made part of the Corporation, transfer only those who had worked for two or more years in the local bodies and follow seniority.
