Grievances redress meeting cancelled again

As expected, the corporation on Tuesday cancelled its weekly grievances redress meeting, citing by-election to R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency.

It has become a regular feature for the corporation to cancel the weekly meeting, the only forum for people to meet Mayor, and other top officials to present their grievances.

Even though the Corporation officials give ‘unavoidable circumstances’ as the reason for the cancellation of the meetings, it is the failure of Mayor S. Soundappan to be present in the city that forces the civic body to take the decision.

Mr. Soundappan, along with other councillors, is said to have left for Chennai to campaign for the Chief Minister in the by-election in the R.K. Nagar constituency.

The cancellation of the meeting has come in for sharp criticism from all sections of society.

People want officials to conduct the meetings in the absence of the Mayor.

The Corporation Commissioner or other senior officials can receive the petitions, and solve the grievances, instead of cancelling the meetings, says A. Mohan, district secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI).

With the Mayor not expected to return till the campaigning comes to an end, the corporation is expected to cancel the meetings for the next couple of weeks too.

This is not the first time that the corporation is cancelling the meeting. Even during the by-election to the Srirangam Assembly constituency held a few months ago, the corporation had cancelled the meetings.