Tuticorin Corporation council’s urgent meeting convened on Friday evening got over within five minutes, amid objections raised by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam councillors.
As soon as the meeting started at 4.50 p.m. – it was scheduled to start at 4 p.m. – Mayor A.P.R. Anthony Grace, who presided over, conveyed her wishes to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on her assuming office again, and welcomed the funds allotted for developing road infrastructure for corporations in the State and the newly inaugurated Amma canteens and Amma pharmacies at various places of Tamil Nadu.
While passing the subjects mentioned in the meeting agenda, M. Balasubramanian, DMK councillor of ward 46, stood up and asked the Mayor to read the subjects on the agenda before passing them.
Immediately, the AIADMK councillors raised objection to his request and said “all pass”. The Mayor then left her chair, saying “all pass”. There were 35 tsubjects on the agenda. Soon after the Mayor left her podium, the agitated DMK councillors sat on the floor in the council hall, raising slogans condemning the Mayor’s action.
P.P. Ramakrishnan, DMK councillor of ward 47, felt the need for holding ordinary meetings to get public grievances addressed by the corporation authorities, and said that there was no need for conducting such urgent meetings without any importance being given to any subject.
He said that the opposition councillors had not been allowed to talk about problems being faced by people. It was on December 30, 2013, that the last ordinary meeting of the council was convened, he added.
Earlier, Suresh Kumar, DMK councillor of ward 26, who was placed under suspension in March for tearing the council meeting agenda, was summoned to join the meeting.
Deputy Mayor, P. Xavier, Commissioner S. Madhumathi and officials from various departments were present.
