Trichy Corporation Holds First Annual Area Sabha Meetings Across All Wards
The Trichy Corporation organized the first of its four annual area sabha meetings on Sunday, covering all 65 wards of the city. This decentralized grievance redressal platform, chaired by respective councillors, took place as part of the National Voters' Day celebrations, despite challenging wet weather conditions that persisted throughout the day.
Residents Seek Updates on Previous Grievances and New Demands
Participants in the meetings actively sought the status of grievances raised during the previous area sabhas held in December 2025. A key issue discussed was the renaming of streets that bear caste identities. K Suresh, the CPI councillor from ward 23, explained that residents were informed about legal challenges hindering this initiative, as an individual has approached the Madras High Court's Madurai bench, delaying progress.
In the area sabha convened at Puthur Ramakrishna School, residents put forward several demands. They called for the upgradation of the street library near Kura Street bus stop into a digital library and urged authorities to expedite the construction of a new bus shelter in the vicinity. Additionally, many residents inquired about the status of the recently completed and commissioned underground drainage (UGD) project under the Smart Cities Mission programme, noting that there were some blockages in the redeveloped network.
Mayor's Involvement and Community Initiatives
Mayor Mu Anbalagan personally convened an area sabha for his ward in Moolathoppu. During the meeting, he encouraged residents' welfare organizations to take up the maintenance of public parks in their respective areas, fostering a sense of community responsibility. A section of women residents also submitted petitions to benefit from the state government's monthly financial assistance scheme for women family heads, highlighting the meeting's role in facilitating access to welfare programs.
Other Key Issues Raised by Residents
In various other meetings across the wards, residents raised additional concerns that impact daily life. These included requests for the installation of speed breakers on residential streets to enhance safety and the development of new covered drainage systems in low-lying areas to prevent waterlogging and related issues.
Congress councillor L Rex reported that residents were informed through officials about the actions taken on complaints raised at the previous area sabha meeting. These actions included the installation of new streetlights and the implementation of solutions to address the stray pig menace in Ariyamangalam, demonstrating the platform's effectiveness in follow-up and resolution.
The area sabha meetings serve as a crucial interface between the Trichy Corporation and its residents, ensuring that local issues are heard and addressed in a timely manner. With three more such meetings scheduled for the year, the corporation aims to maintain this momentum in public engagement and grievance redressal.
