Stating that the City Municipal Corporation failed to improve any basic amenities in the past five years, cadre of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) attempted to lock the Corporation office in Hanging Garden here on Monday. But the police personnel prevented them.
The cadre raised slogans and later submitted petition to the officials.
Led by party State deputy general secretary P. Arul and urban district secretary Kadir Rajarathinam, about 60 cadre gathered near a street on Cherry Road. The police erected barricade and prevented them from proceeding to the Corporation office. They raised slogans that the civic body failed to re-lay the roads dug for various works and kept damaging all the roads in the city.
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“During rainy seasons, all the roads in 60 wards are completely damaged and unfit for commuting,” they added. They said that when people staged protests demanding re-laying of roads, officials gave false promises that work would be completed, but no action was taken, they added.
The cadre said that due to non-payment of wages to conservancy workers, garbage piled up on roads and drains were not desilted.
Addressing the media, Mr. Arul said that corruption prevailed in the civic body as money was sought by officials for all works.
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“Either it is for getting birth or death certificate or for any works, money needs to be paid,” he alleged. He said that roads were dug every week for various works, but were not re-laid. “The civic body has borrowed huge sum from World Bank and from other institutions by pledging its property. Soon the functioning of the Corporation will cease,” he said.
Later, after holding talks with the police personnel, five persons met Corporation Commissioner K.R. Selvaraj and submitted petitions demanding re-laying of roads.