19 Ambur councillors ‘boycott’ council meeting

AMBUR: Hectic parleys were on between 19 members of Ambur Municipality and local DMK stalwarts after the former planned to stay away from the council meeting on Wednesday.

The 19 councillors, who included those from the DMK, AIADMK and BJP, had submitted a letter to officials that since no work was undertaken in their respective wards despite repeated petitions they have decided to boycott the council meeting on Wednesday.

They then reportedly sought refuge in a private lodge where local MLA A Vilvanathan first and then Jolarpet MLA and DMK Tirupattur district secretary K Devaraji held parleys with them requesting to give up their ‘protest’ and attend the meeting.

The meeting, which was first scheduled for 11 am was postponed indefinitely due to the ‘abstention’ by the members. “Though the obdurate councillors were asked to wait till 4 pm nothing materialised even 30 minutes after the deadline,” a source informed.

The move was sequel to 19 councillors spending their money to remove garbage and fill potholes and finally staging a sit-in stir two days ago.

Finally, around 7.15 pm, the Municipality announced that the meeting has been postponed infinitely. All the councillors dispersed. However, suddenly the councillors were informed that a meeting should be conducted today citing an ‘order’ from PWD Minister EV Velu. So, all the councillors trooped into the hall, a few spoke and the meeting ended in 10 minutes.