Chennai: A day after voting concluded, civic agencies in Chennai are yet to resume normal operations, leaving roads dug up, flyover works stalled, and drains incomplete. Officials had excused themselves from attending to these issues last month citing election-related duties.
Key junctions and projects affected
None of the civic contractors were seen working at major junctions such as Anna Nagar Second Avenue, 100-feet Road, and Poonamallee High Road. Roads remain dug up, while key projects like the Vyasarpadi flyover and restoration of the Anna Nagar Bougainvillea Park are in limbo. Contractors attribute the slowdown to delayed payments, stating that their bills will only be released by the new finance ministry.
Contractors demand payment
R Rama Rao, president of the Greater Chennai Contractor Association, revealed that the current administration owes ₹1,620 crore in bills for works completed over the past few months. "They also floated a ₹280 crore tender for footpaths without financial sanction. Several projects remain pending as officials told contractors to go slow due to poll work," Rama Rao said. He added that officials cited the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as a reason to avoid hindrances to campaigns. Works are gradually resuming in parts but will only become full-fledged after the new government assumes office.
Official response
Deputy Mayor Mahesh Kumar stated that the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is yet to take stock of ongoing works. "The poll just got over and officials need some rest. They will be back by Monday," he said. While booth-level work required manpower at 4,085 polling stations, the current focus is on three strong rooms, with counting staff being much fewer. This frees up the entire GCC machinery for routine work.
Residents express frustration
V Sandhya of Anna Nagar M Block highlighted that senior citizens are struggling as the Bougainvillea park has been dug up since January. "Senior citizens sit in bus shelters in the morning after their walk. GCC must speed up the work," she said. R Boopalan of Tondiarpet noted that GCC has left dug-up stormwater drain pits without barricading. "These are old projects and could have been completed during elections, but they did not do it," he added.
