Councillors in Trichy corporation are frustrated over the continued suspension of zonal council meetings in all five zones, despite the election model code of conduct having lapsed weeks ago. The delay in granting delegated powers to the Trichy corporation commissioner by the municipal administration department has been cited as the reason for the impasse. Zonal meetings are a key procedure for addressing ward-level grievances and approving minor works.
Councillors express concerns
K Suresh, a CPI councillor from zone V, said: “Zonal committee meetings are crucial for utilising the funds allocated to each councillor, approximately Rs 15 lakh per year. Several miscellaneous works are pending. We expected the meetings to resume in May, soon after the new government took charge.” Without these meetings, chaired by the zonal chairperson and attended by all councillors in the zone, essential ward-level works such as repairs to stormwater drains, drilling new borewells for drinking water, and installing additional streetlights remain stalled.
Pending works and financial constraints
Some wards require new drainage chambers and overhead drinking water tanks, but these await zonal council resolutions to allocate funds and commence work. While project cost estimates exceeding Rs 10 lakh per work are passed as resolutions at the monthly council meeting, miscellaneous works below that amount can be approved in the zonal committee. A councillor from zone I said: “We are taking risks by persuading the contractor to take up the work first and accept payment later, assuming fund allocation will be made within a month.”
Administrative bottlenecks
Elected representatives stated that the municipal administration department has yet to grant delegated power to the commissioner to permit resolutions to be passed in the zonal meets. The resolutions are reviewed by the corporation commissioner beforehand. Mayor Mu Anbalagan said: “We have written to the municipal administration department to clear the administrative bottlenecks so that zonal council meetings resume. A meeting in this regard is scheduled for Saturday in Chennai. We are hopeful of a solution.”
