Date:19/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/19/stories/2006051912080100.htm

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Corporation team plans to meet Stalin

K.V. Prasad

To discuss development schemes with focus on local body polls

Though major schemes will take time to complete, the parties hope that at least the roads in the city are given a facelift So far, not one road has been taken up for repairs The city's poor infrastructure will be exposed by rain from next month

COIMBATORE: The agenda of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Congress and the Left parties in the Coimbatore Corporation is very clear: get as many development works as possible to take off in the next three months so that they need not face an irate electorate in the local body elections.

A team led by the Deputy Mayor and Congress member, K. Raghupathy, may meet the Minister for Local Administration, M.K. Stalin, to discuss development works that have been pending for years. (Mr. Raghupathy is Mayor In-Charge as T. Malaravan resigned from mayorship to contest the Assembly polls. He is now Coimbatore West MLA.)

Though they will not be a part of the team, this is the desire of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its ally Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam also as fear of voter resentment cuts across party lines.

Though major schemes will take time to complete, the parties hope that at least the roads in the city are given a facelift before the campaign begins. So far, not one road has been taken up for repairs. The city's poor infrastructure will be exposed by rain from next month.

"We have already spoken to Mr. Stalin. We plan to meet him after May 24," says Mr. Raghupathy. Development works in unapproved layouts also will be discussed as more than a lakh votes in these areas are at stake for the parties.

The Rs 168-crore underground drainage scheme, the Pilloor second phase drinking water scheme and a number of infrastructure projects such as multi-tier parking lots and flyovers will be discussed with the new Minister. These pending schemes have been given a fresh thrust under the Central Government's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Clean city

The Opposition banks on Mr. Stalin's stint as Mayor of Chennai to help him understand the needs of the local bodies. Similarly, the new Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Niranjan Mardi, was the Commissioner of the Coimbatore Corporation. The councillors point out that he had first introduced the concept of a clean city and transparent administration and put it into practice effectively.