Councillors belonging to the opposition parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Congress and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam conducted a mock council meeting on Virudhunagar municipal office premises on Wednesday.
The councillors said that the meeting was conducted in protest against the Chairperson, M. Shanthi’s, refusal to conduct the monthly council meeting since July despite repeated pleas.
“Virudhunagar town has a plethora of civic issues, right from drinking water to sanitation. But, the Chairperson is in no mood to conduct the council meeting to discuss issues faced by the residents,” R. Arumugam, DMK councillor of ward 5 said.
Eleven councillors gathered in front of the Municipal Commissioner’s office and they selected Nagendran (ward 33) of Congress as their Chairman.
The councillors sat on the ground and Mr. Nagendran conducted the mock meeting in which the councillors aired their grievances one-by-one.
“We do not have a regular municipal Commissioner for over one year. This has been a handicap in running the show,” Mr. Arumugam charged.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) councillor Jayakumar complained that at least 100 hand pumps and mini power pumps in the town were not functional.
“Without the municipal resolution for setting the water facilities right, the contractors are not willing to take up the works. With the municipality supplying regular water only once in six days, these borewells and the mini power pumps were only supplementing the water requirements of the people,” he complained.
After the mock council meeting, the councillors presented petitions airing their grievances.
“The mock meeting is nothing but a political stunt with an eye on the ensuing local body elections,” said Ms. Shanti.
Stating that last month’s council meeting could not be conducted due to the absence of Commissioner and other officials, she said that the meeting for this month is under preparation.
“The Commissioner (in-charge) has come only today. We will soon have the next council meeting,” she said.
