CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will conduct the first area sabha meetings of the year across all zones on January 25. As per a GO issued by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department (MAWS) in May 2023, such meetings are mandated to be held four times a year in all corporations and municipalities.
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However, several residents and councillors who participated in earlier sessions have described the exercise as an eyewash, alleging that issues raised by the public remain largely unaddressed.
The meetings in zones 1-15 will be chaired by the respective ward councillors, with the participation of assistant and junior engineers. All wards have been instructed to conclude the meetings within 15 days and submit detailed reports to the central office for review.
Ward 182 councillor and AIADMK floor leader KPK Sathish said, “Every tear, these meetings have become a mere procedural exercise. Officials fail to act on the issues raised by residents. Many infrastructure works are delayed, including the storm water drainage projects. So, the public is reluctant to attend these meetings.”
Echoing similar concerns, D Neelakannan, president of the Tamil Nadu Alliance of Resident Welfare Associations, said residents were no longer receiving proper notifications. “Earlier, we used to get notices about area sabha meetings. Now, there are no notifications from ward councillors. Members of political parties attend these meetings instead of residents from the concerned areas,” he said.
Under GO 64 dated May 22, 2023, the meetings are mandated under Sections 49-F to 49-H and Rule 180 of the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act. The designated dates for the meetings are January 25 (National Voters’ Day), April 14 (Ambedkar’s birthday), September 15 (CN Annadurai’s birthday) and December 10 (Human Rights Day).
A subsequent GO 9016 of the MAWS Department, clarified that to avoid scheduling inconvenience and ensure detailed discussion of ward-specific issues, the meetings may be conducted within a 15-day window from the designated dates.
However, offering a different perspective, CPI’s ward 42 councillor M Renuka said, “Several local issues, including piped drinking water connections and road relaying works, have been addressed in my ward. But queries related to the desilting of public wells in Seeniamman Koil Street and Gothandaraman Street are yet to be resolved.”
Attempts to seek clarification from Mayor R Priya Rajan did not elicit a response.