At a time when many civic issues are waiting for authorities’ attention, the Madurai Corporation Council meeting held here on Friday lasted only for 10 minutes.
The monthly meeting, conducted just as a formality, did not take up any agenda. While half of the benches in the council hall were empty due to poor attendance, Mayor V.V.Rajan Chellappa completed the proceedings in minutes leaving no scope for anyone to speak.
After administering the customary pledge against untouchability and reading out resolutions thanking Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on various issues, the Mayor adopted five resolutions without allowing debate on them before winding up the meeting.
Even as the Mayor and Corporation Commissioner Kiran Gurrala left the hall along with officials by 10.15 a.m., the shocked council members remained seated without comprehending what was happening and why the council meeting was convened in the first place.
“We have to conduct a council meeting every month and so we had it today. There were no important agendas for discussion,” Mr.Chellappa said in an informal chat with reporters after the meeting.
Normally, the council meetings take place for at least three hours and councillors highlight problems such as slow pace of works in their wards. When reporters asked why he did not allow the members to speak, the Mayor said there would be a council meeting in the second week of February to present the Corporation’s budget.
