The Chennai Corporation Council's
first meeting today went off peacefully with Mayor M Subramanian chairing
the proceedings.
Twenty-three resolutions
were passed including a special resolution lauding Chief Minister M Karunanidhi
and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin for successfully conducting
the elections in the four reserved panchayats.
Introducing the resolution,
the Mayor said that for the last 10 years, the election process could not
be completed in the reserved panchayats of Pappapatti, Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam
and Kottakatchiyendal. With the efforts of the government, social justice
was brought about by giving political independence to the oppressed class
in society.
Taking a dig at the AIADMK
and MDMK, he said those parties boycotted the felicitation function organised
for the presidents of the four reserved panchayats in Chennai recently.
Speaking on the resolution,
ruling party leader N Ramalingam urged the Mayor to set up a joint committee
to address public grievances related to the Slum Clearance board, Chennai
Metro Water and Sewage Board, Library and Fire and Rescue Services. The
committee which was earlier set up by M K Stalin during his tenure as Mayor
was dissolved by the previous AIADMK rule.
To this, the present Mayor
assured to revive the committee after getting Local Administration Minister's
approval.
Another resolution was passed
seeking the State government to amend the Act for holding the council meeting
every month.
Corporation Commissioner
Rajesh Lakhoni was present during the council meeting. Mayor announced
the members of the fitness advisory committee to be chaired by him. The
members were Deputy Mayor Sathyabama, Opposition leader Saidai Ravi, ruling
party leader
N Ramalingam, PMK party leader
in council Jayaraman, Subramanian (CPI), Prabhu ( DPI), Jalaludeen (IUML),
Armstrong (BSP) and Bhuvaeshwari ( Independent).
Later speaking to reporters,
Subramanian said the joint committee which was formed by Stalin during
his earlier tenure to address the grievances of public related to department
of slum clearance board would be revived soon. (Though the department didn't
come under Chennai Corporation, the committee was formed to redress grievances
of public living within the Chennai Corporation limit). The committee would
have three councillors as members, 10 zonal chairmen and senior officials
of the department concerned.
The council would meet every
three months and it would be chaired by the Mayor and official- level meetings
would take place thereafter, he added.
During the recent rains,
the Chennai Corporation had incurred a loss of Rs 27 crore due to road
damage, he said and added that the Corporation had allocated Rs 20.70 crore
for construction and renovation of 46 km of stormwater drainage in the
city. The work would be completed by March 2007.
In the review of flood- affected
areas, 470 works were identified in storm water drains for a stretch of
157 km, he added.
