CHENNAI: MDMK councillor S Jeevan on Friday urged the Corporation to raise the ex gratia assistance for councillors who die in office from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, citing rising costs.
“Enhanced financial assistance will offer meaningful support to families in the event of a councillor’s death while in office,” Jeevan said, and pointed out that allocations for ward-level infrastructure had not kept pace with inflation.
In 2023, the council fund for constructing public welfare buildings in my ward was Rs 35 lakh, which was later raised to Rs 60 lakh, but it’s inadequate due to the increase in commodity prices,S Jeevan
Several DMK ward councillors, and IUML councillor Fathima Muzaffer Ahmed welcomed the proposal to introduce a rope car facility at Marina, which was announced in the budget for the coming financial year.
Ahmed also called for free public Wi-Fi in major gathering spaces across the city, on the lines of initiatives implemented in New Delhi, saying the move would benefit students, young people and other users in high-footfall areas.