: Coimbatore Corporation Council on Thursday, May 26, 2022 postponed a subject on monetising wedding halls after councillors saw red in the proposal.
The Corporation had tabled two subjects — one for letting out on rent, on a temporary basis, the wedding hall on Syrian Church Road to house the district registrar office, and another for inviting expression of interest to monetise eight wedding halls by giving those on lease or rent for government organisations, banks or private parties.
After listing the halls in Varadharajapuram, Puliakulam, Rahman Set Colony, Ramalingam Colony, Sreenivasapuram, V.O.C. Street, Syrian Church Road and Kempatty Colony, the subject read that as many of those halls were ill used the Corporation proposed to monetise the wedding halls in Vardharajapuram, Puliakulam, Rahman Set Colony, Ramalingam Colony and Sreenivasapuram by letting and leasing out those for three years subject to certain conditions.
As soon as Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar placed the subject for the Council’s consideration, the councillors were up on their feet opposing the move. East Zone Chairperson Lakshmi Ilanjselvi said the very reason that the Corporation had constructed the wedding halls was for the poor to hire those at affordable cost.
Monetising those assets by giving those to government, banks or private parties would only deprive the poor of the possibility of hiring those.
Works Committee Chairperson and Ward 63 Councillor Santhi Murugan urged the Corporation to repair the wedding halls and said she seconded Ms. Ilanjselvi’s motion opposing the move.
After a few more councillors opposed the move, the Council unanimously decided to postpone the subject for consideration in the future.
