Date:31/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/31/stories/2008103150870300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Coimbatore councillors stage walkout over street lights

Staff Reporter

- Photo:M. Periasamy

UP IN ARMS: Members of the CPI, CPI (M), AIADMK, DMDK and MDMK raising slogans after staging a walkout from the Coimbatore Corporation council meeting on Thursday.

Coimbatore: The issue of non-functioning street lights across the city and the failure of the contractor to set them right, raised by various political parties cutting across party affiliations, led to heated exchanges at the council meeting on Thursday.

Pandemonium marked the zero hour with almost all the members up in arms over the failure of the contractor in setting the street lights right.

Parties staged a walkout condemning the Corporation administration of having failed to exercise any control over the contractor. Members of the Communist Party of India led by floor leader K. Purushottaman, members of Communist Party of India (Marxist) led by its floor leader M. Padmanabhan walked out first raising slogans followed by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members led by party floor leader, P. Rajkumar. Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam members were the last to walkout led by their party floor leader Kannadasan.

The members demanded that the contract with the bidder for operation and maintenance of street lights should be cancelled.

The slogan shouting and walkouts came even after the assurances by Commissioner-in-charge, V. Shantha who assured the house that the contractor had been sternly warned and steps were being taken to monitor the progress every day.

Mayor R. Venkatachalam, who was presiding over the meeting, said that the issue of street light maintenance was just resolved and the work was entrusted to a new contractor. Care had been taken to avoid contractors who were black listed for poor performance during the previous years.

Without giving time it was unfair on the part of the members to make an issue of it.

He also said that if the contract was cancelled as demanded by the member, it would only worsen the situation.

AIADMK floor leader, P. Rajkumar raised the issue of lack of transparency in implementation of Jawarhalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and expressed concern at the increasing vacancies in every department.

All these factors had led to stagnation in progress of works thus affecting the public considerably.

On commencement of the zero hour, the leader of the Opposition, V.N. Udayakumar wanted the house to take note of a meeting by various party leaders, committee chairmen and zonal chairmen wherein a decision was taken to streamline the conduct of the business in the house.

The decision was to adhere to time schedule and to ensure that subjects listed for approval are dealt with immediately after the lunch hour.

CPI member, R. Kalyanasundaram raised the issue of ‘fraudulent practices’ in hiring trucks for garbage disposal and sought a probe into it. CPM member M. Padmanabhan sought the civic body’s stand on engaging workers for manually clearing the blocks in drains and opposed privatisation of solid waste management schemes.

Congress floor leader and leader of the ruling party R.S. Thirumugam sought procurement and deployment of more sewage lorries and earthmovers. CPI floor leader, K. Purushottaman said that the implementation of various schemes in the civic body had proved that they were totally not in compliance with the report of the consultant and sought an explanation on spending money on engaging consultants.