A day after the Madras High Court called for a probe into the issue of tenders for improvement works at the Arputham Nagar pond in Tambaram, opposition councillors walked out of a council meeting, protesting alleged irregularities.
On Friday evening, immediately after the meeting began, councillors belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam said they had complained about violations in procedure on earlier occasions and noted that the High Court itself had taken cognisance of the issue.
S. Indran, DMK councillor from ward no. 26, alleged irregularities in the issue of orders for various works such as water bodies, roads and stormwater drains.
M. Karikalan, Municipal Chairman, responded by saying that none of the norms or government procedures and rules were violated while carrying out improvement works at the Arputham Nagar pond.
Mr. Karikalan said only after the council approved improvement works at the pond in December 2011 was a sum of Rs. 18 lakh sanctioned for creating a compound wall, a walkers’ pavement and deepening of the pond. A work order was issued to the lowest bidder in the tender process in February 2012.
Subsequently, in February, another work order for a sum of Rs. 20.8 lakh was issued for providing safety grills around the pavement and illumination among others. These two works were carried out in separate components and it was an entirely transparent process. It was later sanctioned by the Local Fund Audit as well as the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply only after which the works were carried, Mr. Karikalan clarified.
However, Mr. Indran and the other 10 councillors of his party were not convinced and walked out of the council meeting.
