CHENNAI: Mayor R Priya on Friday alleged in the council meeting that she and Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumar were not being invited to government-level meetings on northeast monsoon preparedness, despite the civic body being responsible for dealing with the city’s flooding and related problems.
The allegation came after Commissioner GS Sameeran told the council that a series of meetings had already been held with ministers and senior officials to review monsoon preparedness, even as he detailed the Rs 100 crore sanctioned for precautionary works.
“Mayor and Deputy Mayor had not been invited to the meetings convened by the government in the Secretariat on monsoon preparedness,” she alleged.
The issue arose during a discussion initiated by councillor Velu (Ward 78), who questioned why elected Corporation representatives were not being consulted on the monsoon works and allocations being made for their wards. The Commissioner told the council that Rs 100 crore had been accorded administrative sanction for monsoon preparedness.
According to the GCC, Rs 22.46 crore was being spent on desilting 1,671 km of storm water drains, Rs 10 crore had been allocated at Rs 5 lakh/ward for monsoon preparedness and Rs 22 crore for road patching and repairs. “Councillors and zonal committee chairpersons know the ground situation very well, and yet we’re kept in the dark,” said C Velu. “Is Rs 5 lakh enough? You should ask my opinion.”
He recalled that during earlier monsoon preparations, meetings involved the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, MLAs and Zonal Committee Chairpersons, with zonal representatives placing their requirements before the government. Mayor Priya remarked, “This is supposed to be a people’s government, but the manner of functioning resembles that of officials’ administration.”