DHARMAPURI: Nine councillors from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), and independent groups staged a sit-in protest at the Harur municipality office on Thursday, alleging widespread corruption and administrative irregularities in the civic body.
Allegations of Favouritism and Financial Mismanagement
The protesting councillors accused municipal officials of awarding contract work exclusively to relatives of the chairman and vice-chairman, while deliberately neglecting certain wards. They claimed that when Harur was a town panchayat, it maintained a reserve fund of approximately ₹2.5 crore. However, after the upgrade to municipality status, the funds were reportedly mishandled due to nepotism in contract distribution, as alleged by PMK councillor R Perumal.
Demands for Essential Services and Inquiry
The councillors demanded immediate provision of essential facilities, including stormwater drains, sewer connections, streetlights, drinking water arrangements, and electrification works. They insisted on the appointment of an independent inquiry officer to investigate the corruption allegations and fix responsibility for the irregularities.
The sit-in, which began at 10 am, caused significant disruption at the municipal office, preventing members of the public from accessing routine services. When reporters sought comments, municipal commissioner V Vijaya Sree declined to meet them, stating that she was attending a high-level meeting.
