Officials of Tirunelveli Corporation’s Palayamkottai Zone office faced embarrassing moments when the councillors of the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alleged corruption in administering ‘Amma Unavagam’ in the zonal meeting held on Wednesday.
Much to the surprise of the councillors, officials and the media, chairman of Palayamkottai Zone M. Christhu Rajan of the AIADMK, who remained a mute spectator to these serious allegations, neither denied them nor gave any acceptable explanation.
As the meeting commenced, councillors T.N. Umapathi Sivan of the Congress, Francis and Kamaludeen of the DMK raised this issue. They alleged that the workers employed for preparing food at ‘Amma Unavagam’ were being paid Rs. 200 per day as wage instead of the stipulated amount of Rs. 250 a day.
The trio also alleged that no proper account was being maintained for food materials procured and used for preparing food at ‘Amma Unavagam’. “We allege rampant corruption has seriously tarnished the image of the unavagam. Hence, the Corporation administration should order a proper enquiry into the siphoning of funds and food material meant for ‘Amma Unavagam’, they demanded.
While AIADMK councillor Paramasivan alone refuted these charges, Mr. Christhu Rajan and the officials maintained inexplicable silence, much to the shock of other AIADMK councillors.
The councillors of the DMK and the Congress demanded action against Akash Associates, which has been awarded the contract for maintaining streetlights. The councillors also submitted a letter with their signatures seeking action against the firm for “poor maintenance of streetlights”.
Erratic drinking water supply in various parts of Palayamkottai Zone also gave anxious moments to the officials and the Chairman for a while when Mr. Francis and A. Raja (DMK) raised this issue. Even when Mr. Kamaludeen and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam councillor Thaneswaran drew the officials’ attention towards the failure to clear the garbage stagnating in various wards for several days also, it did not evoke any effective reply from Mr. Christhu Rajan or from the officials.
At the same time, all the councillors, including the AIADMK members, opposed the detention of stray cattle freely roaming along all busy roads of Palayamkottai.
“The officials can detain only the stray cattle roaming along the national highways and should not lay their hands on other roads,” the councillors warned the officials.
