“Absence of elected representatives in local bodies for nearly a decade had resulted in a big gap between residents and officials”K. VasanthakumariTambaram Mayor
The first Mayor of Tambaram, K. Vasanthakumari, says her priority is to solve the problem of inadequate amenities such as drinking water, bad roads and functioning street lights, which affect the residents.
Although Ms. Vasanthakumari is a relative newcomer to party politics and landed the Mayor’s post at the age of 25, she does not show any sign of being overwhelmed by great expectations that the residents have about her.
In her first interview with The Hindu conducted in the Tambaram MLA’s office (as the Mayor’s office is getting readied) on Monday, the new Mayor said she would take all steps necessary to carry forward the civic infrastructure development in south Chennai and live up to the faith reposed in her by DMK President and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
Along with Tambaram MLA S.R. Raja, the Mayor has drawn up a strategy to conduct grievance redress meetings every week and plans to build the underground drainage (UGD) system in those wards which have been left out.
Regarding a section of residents in Pallavaram and Chitlapakkam expressing reservations about their municipalities being merged with the Tambaram Corporation and wanted to be with the Greater Chennai Corporation for better civic amenities, Ms. Vasanthakumari said while the civic body was one of the oldest in the country and could not be compared with it in financial clout or the might of the manpower, the Tambaram Corporation would take all steps to repair the damaged roads, improve the supply of drinking water and speed up giving drainage connections.
She said the absence of elected representatives in local bodies for nearly a decade had resulted in a big gap between residents and officials. The newly-elected Councillors would fill that gap in solving the issues.
Ms. Vasanthakumari said an underground drainage network for all town panchayats in south Chennai was proposed in 2006-2011 when Mr. Stalin was the Local Administration Minister. But the proposal was forgotten after the change of guard at the State-level in 2011.
Conservancy tax
She assured the residents of scrapping the conservancy tax which is being charged in several corporations and municipalities, except Greater Chennai Corporation, by passing a special resolution. She said: “I understand that the conservancy tax, which was brought by the previous AIADMK administration, could be levied on commercial complexes but is a burden on residents.”
Regarding her pet projects, Ms. Vasanthakumari cited protecting waterbodies and popularising Chief Minister’s drive to empower women through self-help groups (SHGs).
