Petition seeking disclosure of Mayor's assets filed

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 26. A petition seeking a direction to the Commissioner of Chennai Municipal Corporation to furnish copies of the statement of assets of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the civic body, under the Chennai City Municipal Corporation (Disclosure of Assets) Rules, 1973, has been filed before the Madras High Court.

Mr. Justice K. Govindarajan, who heard the petitioner as well as another similar petition seeking the Statement of Assets of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Madurai Corporation, stated that the matter involved public interest. Hence, the Judge directed them to be placed before the Chief Justice for posting before a Division Bench.

In the first petition, Mr. Philip Thomas, an advocate and an AIADMK office-bearer, said the CCMC (DoA) Rules gave the public a right to seek property details of the elected civic body heads, who were required to furnish the same before March 31 every year.

He submitted that the Councillors were also bound to do so, but this had not been complied with by them. The Statement of Assets so filed was deemed to be a public document and hence the public had a right to know the information about the assets of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The only requirement under law was that the information seeker should pay necessary charges.

The petitioners contended that as an advocate and City resident, he was entitled to the copy of the assets' statement. If the details were not furnished, or if there was a suppression of any fact about the assets, in accordance with the Rules, he could initiate appropriate legal action.

Though he applied for the statement on July 20 by registered post and paid the necessary charges to secure the document, it had not been furnished to him till date. Hence, he sought the direction to the Corporation Commissioner to furnish the assets' statement copy.

A similar petition pertaining to Madurai Corporation was moved by a local resident Mr. Tamil Selvan.

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Section  : Southern States
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