2 DMK councillors among 4 sacked for abusing powers
Tambaram Ward 40 councillor and zone III chairman Jayapradeep C was charged with acting unilaterally without consulting councillors not convening any meeting for eight months, bias in fund allocation to areas and locking up the room of the assistant executive engineer of the Tambaram corporation.
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CHENNAI: In what could give a reality check to civic representatives abusing power at will, the DMK regime on Thursday cracked the whip and sacked four councillors, including two belonging to its party in the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), and a municipal chairman down south.
Principal Secretary of the state Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department D Karthikeyan on Thursday issued orders to 'remove' councillors V Babu (Ward 189) and KP Chockalingam (Ward 5) of GCC, both belonging to DMK and Ward 40 councillor of Tambaram Corporation Jayapradeep with immediate effect for "wilfully omitting, refusing and disobeying the provisions" of Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act 1998 (Tamil Nadu Act 9 of 1999).
Chockalingam was accused of abusing his power by obstructing and changing infrastructure development works in his ward, mainly on September 18, 2024, when he along with a residents' welfare association prevented the contractor from renovating the road repair works on Neithal Nagar Main Road in his ward.
Ward 189 councillor V Babu was accused of preventing the provision of domestic drinking water pipeline connections to taxpayers in the Pallikaranai area despite paying relevant fees, till they met his secretary. He was also accused of assaulting contract workers engaged in the repair of damaged drinking water pipelines.
Tambaram Ward 40 councillor and zone III chairman Jayapradeep C was charged with acting unilaterally without consulting councillors not convening any meeting for eight months, bias in fund allocation to areas and locking up the room of the assistant executive engineer of the Tambaram corporation.
Usilampatti municipal chairperson Sakuntala was accused of holding the council meetings in her room instead of the council hall, and that too in the presence of her son and relatives who argued with councillors whenever they expressed their views in such meetings.
As per the orders issued by the MAWS secretary, Sakuntala had even approved tenders even before they were placed before the council for approval.
A total of eight councillors across the state were asked to explain their undesirable activities. Explanations of four others were accepted by the government.
