Discussion with Councillors flops

As many of them are not aware of the details of the project

Mayor P. Rajkumar, and Corporation Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan attend a meeting to discuss the implementation of Smart City project in Coimbatore on Monday.– Photo: M. Periasamy

Setting up of a library, creation of ponds, provision of more garbage bins, and strict enforcement of rules banning use of plastic bags with less than 40 micron thickness were some of the suggestions emerged during the two-and-half-hour meeting of Councillors on Monday to implement the Smart City project.

The nature of demands and suggestions forced Mayor P. Rajkumar and Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan to intervene on more than a couple of occasions to explain what the Smart City project was all about.

At one stage, Mr. Vijayakarthikeyan had to ask the Smart City project consultant to explain the scheme.

Mr. Rajkumar asked the consultant why no literature, or slide show was prepared.

He was apprehensive that the Smart City project could go the JNNURM projects’ way if meaningful consultation with the general public was not done.

The Mayor said that when he was the Leader of the Opposition he had to use the Right to Information Act even to get basic documents on JNNURM scheme.

Councillors, including those from the ruling party, said that the corporation should first fulfil residents’ basic demands, and then go for big ticket projects.

R. Mahadevan (BJP) said that Councillors did not get time to come prepared for the meeting because the civic body informed them of the meeting only on Saturday, and t did not give any details.

Some other Councillors suggested that the civic body should give priority to traffic management.

A few suggested elevated corridors on Mettupalayam Road, Sathyamangalam Road, Avinashi Road, and Trichy Road and a few others called for development of scheme roads.

East Zone Chairman K. Jayaram suggested development of ring roads and bypass to reduce inflow of vehicles into the city.

Later in the evening, the corporation held a meeting with representatives of residents’ welfare associations in the North and Central zones.

Only a handful of representatives, that too from three of the 20 wards, were present at the Central Zone meeting.

The North Zone meeting, however, saw fairly good attendance.