The Corporation Council meeting held here on Friday was wound up within 15 minutes without any debate on resolutions tabled before it after Mayor Antony Grace faced embarrassing questions and wrath of councillors of her own party.
Immediately after Ms. Grace hastily read a few resolutions thanking Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for having ensured 50 per cent seats for women in local bodies and tabling a tax-free Budget, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam councillors Golden, Ananthakumar, Dhanaraj and Jayabharathi rushed towards Commissioner Poonkodi Arumaikan and argued with her for hiking drinking water tax even before executing 4th drinking water scheme.
They said the public had been affected by Corporation’s delay in approving building plans. “Are you indirectly supporting the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by hiking drinking water and property taxes?” they asked the Commissioner.
Ms. Poonkodi said those questions should be directed to the Mayor. The AIADMK members returned to their seats while shouting at Ms. Grace that they could not raise any of the people’s problems as the council meeting was being conducted once in four months.
When DMK councillor Kotturaja levelled a series of allegations against the Corporation administration, including “chaotic drinking water supply” being done once in 10 days, pathetic roads and drainage channels, AIADMK councillor Ponraj said it was due to the “callous approach” of the previous DMK-led administration in the Corporation.
AIADMK councillor Periasamy said installation of iron gates across the road in front of Sivan Temple affected the movement of the public. “On whose permission the gates were installed across a road being maintained by the Corporation?” he asked the Mayor.
He also raised a few more questions that embarrassed the Mayor as she could not give any reply to them.
Finally, she walked out of the meeting at 4.30 p.m. after announcing that all the resolutions tabled before the council had been passed.
Even before the council meeting commenced, DMK MLA P. Geetha Jeevan entered the council hall and occupied a chair along with the DMK councillors. Later, she said the Mayor hastily walked out of the meeting as she had no courage to face the councillors.
