Coimbatore Corporation Council Faces Turmoil Over Resolution Approval
The Coimbatore Corporation Council recently witnessed a heated argument between its commissioner, M Prathap, and various committee chairpersons regarding the approval of resolutions. The chairpersons expressed their dissatisfaction, stating that resolutions related to their committees were not being presented to them for consideration.
M Mubaseera, the chairperson of the Finance Committee, claimed that the committee was left in the dark regarding the introduced resolutions. She further criticized the lack of consultation with the chairpersons on proposals and resolutions. N Malathi, the chairperson of the Education and Park Committee, supported Mubaseera’s stance and added that several tenders related to parks and the education department were not being brought to her notice.
The confrontation escalated as Prathap defended himself, stating that committee meetings were supposed to occur monthly but were not taking place regularly. He cited an example of resolutions concerning the name change of TK Market and MGR Market, which had been sent to the finance committee but remained pending. Prathap emphasized that committees cannot withhold files for an extended period and that he had evidence to prove that these resolutions had not been passed for the past three months. He firmly stated that the commissioner, as the custodian of all files, should have been informed in writing about any delays in approval rather than receiving calls to inquire about their status.
Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar intervened to defuse the argument and urged the committees to meet monthly without fail to review and approve all files. However, the controversy did not end there, as members of the AIADMK and Left parties expressed their opposition to the mayor’s consent to outsource garbage collection. Congress party members also raised concerns about the potential unemployment of sanitary workers if the process was outsourced.
Prathap assured everyone that all workers would be absorbed by the private company selected for the task. He justified the decision to outsource by highlighting the financial benefits, explaining that the corporation would only pay 170 crore to the private firm. In contrast, if the work were carried out by the corporation itself, the projected expenses for the year would amount to 230 crore.
Despite these disagreements, the council managed to pass a resolution to provide drinking water connections to houses in 99 notified slums and 111 non-notified slums. The resolution waived deposit and road cutting charges, with only a minimal service charge of 250 collected from each household.
Earlier, members of the AIADMK staged a demonstration in front of Victoria Hall, where the council meeting was held, to register their opposition to the mayor’s consent for garbage collection outsourcing.
The disputes within the Coimbatore Corporation Council highlight the importance of proper communication, transparency, and collaboration among committee members, the commissioner, and the mayor. It is crucial for all parties involved to work together to ensure smooth functioning and decision-making processes, ultimately benefiting the citizens of Coimbatore.
