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Tirupur Municipality defers decision

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUPUR, FEB. 10. The Tirupur Municipality has deferred its decision on the proposal to privatise the maintenance work of the streetlights in the town after the Left parties opposed it.

The five-hour-long council meeting chaired by the Vice-Chairman, V. Radhakrishnan (AIADMK), here yesterday witnessed heated exchanges between the ruling party and the Opposition. The resolution seeking approval to privatise the maintenance work of 8,697 streetlights at an estimated outlay of Rs. 35 lakhs per annum has been placed before the council.

Decision on the resolution was postponed after a draw in voting. Twenty-one councillors each voted for and against the resolution in the 52 member-strong council.

Initiating the debate over the issue, M. Arunachalam (CPI) urged the local body should employ more workers to ensure efficient service to the pubic, instead of privatising the same.

"At present, we are getting the worst service through privatisation in the area of solid waste disposal. Garbage is being accumulated in every street because of the delay by the private operator to remove it. So, the logic for the privatisation - providing better service - has defeated and taking a lesson from it we should not privatise the work," he argued.

Not commercial activity

M. Nagarajan (CPI-M) said the maintenance work was not a commercial one and it was a basic public duty bestowed on the local body and there would be no `service motive' if it was privatised. Coming down on the administration, he pointed out that the guidelines given by the Commissioner of Municipal Administration over the privatisation was not enclosed as mentioned in the agenda and he urged the chair to postpone the subject.

In spite of misappropriation and corruption, the Government machinery alone could give a better service to the public and the privatisation would lead to more corruption, he warned. And he said as per the proposal there was no role for the elected council in ensuring the service.

S. Santhamani (MDMK), sought the issue be deferred since the guidelines had not been circulated to the members and then she staged a walked out along with her party colleague during the voting. While welcoming the privatisation move, S. M. Thangavel (Congress), observed that it would not be possible for the local body to serve efficiently since the industrial town witnessing a phenomenal growth. P. K. Muthu (AIADMK), said the move would lessen the burden of the Municipality. As per the proposal, there was a chance to ensure the functioning of 99 per cent streetlights, he said. The DMK opposed the move.

Fill up vacancies

The Left parties criticised the Government over the issue of key posts including the Commissioner, Municipal Health Officer, Revenue Officer Manager and PA to the Commissioner remaining vacant. The CPI staged a walkout condemning the Government over the issue.

The CPI(M) councillors condemned the State Government for not lifting the ban on erecting new streetlights in the local bodies over the four years. Many councillors urged the Government to withdraw the order.

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