The last day of the year ended on an embarrassing note for the Tirunelveli Corporation administration as its officials boycotted the council meeting held on Wednesday, condemning the “inordinate delay” in getting approval for development schemes.
“Since proposals related to development schemes are pending at the Mayor’s Office for the past two months, officials are not able to answer their superiors and the public. Despite our best efforts, we could not include these proposals in the meeting agenda. As we’re being humiliated repeatedly, we decided to conduct a review meeting instead of participating in the council meeting,” said a senior official.
Led by Commissioner R. Lakshmi, all senior officials participated in the review meeting held in her chamber even as the council meeting was going on.
“No legal provision says officials’ participation in the council meet is compulsory. Since there is no room for including proposals for development schemes in the agenda, there is no point in participating in the meeting,” said the official.
As the meeting began with Mayor E. Bhuvaneshwari in the chair, councillors raised this issue and came down heavily on officials. A section of them went to the Commissioner’s chamber after the meeting ended within 10 minutes and picked up a heated argument with Ms. Lakshmi. She warned that she would be forced to file a police complaint against the councillors who threatened her and uttered objectionable words against her. Immediately, the councillors left her chamber.
“We sent the proposals meant for this meeting, including the second phase of underground drainage scheme and laying of roads at a cost of Rs. 8 crore. But insignificant proposals on completed works were included in the agenda while all the important proposals were left out. If the fund meant for these projects is not utilised, it will return to the government,” Ms. Lakshmi said. She also charged that officials were being treated in a shabby manner at the grievance day meetings conducted on Tuesdays.
Refuting the allegations, Ms. Bhuvaneshwari charged that the officials were functioning in an “anti-democratic manner” and obstructing all her efforts in taking welfare schemes to the people. “They are not at all cooperating with me,” she alleged.
