Corporation chairmen demand open house meetings in Chennai

CHENNAI: Resonating a demand from a residents welfare association before the urban local body polls, chairmen of Chennai Corporation standing and zonal committees requested the civic body to conduct open house meetings in all the 15 zones.

Chennai Corporation held a coordination meeting with various departments including Metrowater, Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB), Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and others in which chairmen of standing and zonal committees took part along with state minister PK Sekar Babu at the Ripon Building on Wednesday.

The meeting was conducted based on demands raised by the city councilors at the recent council meeting, who urged better coordination for all departments while implementing projects including construction of storm water drains.

Officials, who took part in the meeting, said that the some of the chairmen requested open house meetings with the participation of all the service departments. Moreover, they also urged the Chennai Corporation, electricity department and Metrowater, who are known for digging roads to implement projects, to conduct coordination meetings before starting to dig roads.

The chairmen also pointed out the irregular garbage removal from the TNUHDB tenements and urged the officials to coordinate with the civic body to effectively do conservancy workers. Based on the request, TNUHDB officials promised to increase supervisors to monitor garbage clearance works.

It may be noted that in a representation to the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, T Nagar Residents' Welfare Association demanded open house meetings like the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, which conducts open house meetings once in every month providing an opportunity to the general public to meet the officials and present the problems. The Greater Chennai Corporation too must organize open house meetings at its various divisional offices once every month. Besides the zonal heads, the officials from various departments must attend the meetings, the association had requested.

Speaking at the meeting, minister PK Sekar Babu noted that more than 30 trees have fallen down during last three days due to rains. "Weak branches and trees should be cleared before the onset of monsoon and weak and dilapidated buildings should identified," he instructed.