Councillors from the AIADMK in the Salem Municipal Corporation (SMC) launched serious allegations on Monday, accusing the ruling DMK-led civic body of squandering crores of rupees allocated under the Smart City Mission. The opposition party claimed that funds are being wasted due to a failure to implement crucial projects, leading to a heated argument and a walkout from the council session.
Walkout and Allegations of Fund Misuse
The council meeting, chaired by Mayor A Ramachandran, turned contentious when AIADMK members, led by opposition leader N Yadavamoorthy, raised the issue of stalled Smart City projects. Following a sharp argument with councillors from the ruling DMK, the AIADMK contingent staged a walkout in protest. This dramatic move underscored the deepening political rift over the management of development funds in the city.
Speaking to reporters after the walkout, Yadavamoorthy elaborated on the allegations. He asserted that no new projects have been initiated for the SMC under the current DMK regime. According to him, any ongoing work is being carried out using allocations made by the previous AIADMK government. He specifically pointed to the non-implementation of key projects like the solar power generation initiative and insulators, claiming this inaction constitutes a massive waste of public money.
Corruption in Tax Collection Alleged
Beyond the charge of fund stagnation, the AIADMK leader leveled a direct accusation of corruption. Yadavamoorthy alleged that the Salem Municipal Corporation is involved in corrupt practices by assigning tax collection duties to a private company. He argued that this core function should ideally be performed by the civic body itself, implying that the outsourcing arrangement opens the door to financial malfeasance and a lack of accountability.
Political Fallout and Public Accountability
The allegations bring the spotlight back on the utilization of Central government's Smart City funds in Tamil Nadu's urban local bodies. The incident has escalated political tensions in Salem, with the opposition demanding transparency and urgent action on pending projects. The claims of the DMK-led corporation wasting crores of rupees and engaging in questionable contracts put the ruling party on the defensive, raising questions about governance and developmental delays in the region.
The walkout and subsequent press conference signal that the AIADMK intends to keep this issue alive, potentially using it as a major point of contention against the DMK in the civic arena. The ball is now in the court of the Salem Municipal Corporation administration to respond to these serious charges and clarify the status of the Smart City projects and tax collection processes.
