CM, Velumani to be blamed, public fear 2015 repeat: LOP

The Greater Chennai Corporation should have been monsoon-ready after desilting and deepening the flood carriers, Stalin said, referring to Arappor Iyakkam’s expose alleging award of inflated tenders to contractors favoured by Minister Velumani. However, neither the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption nor the vigilance wing of the Corporation had come forward to inquire the scam.

From the Commissioner to engineers, all officials had taken up abetment of Velumani’s corruption in storm water drain construction as their prime duty and failed in preparing for the northeast monsoon, he alleged.

The councilors would have addressed the grievances of the flood-hit people if elections were conducted for the Corporation, Stalin said, adding that it was condemnable that the regime has made a mockery of civic management by not holding the elections.

The government should expedite work on draining flood water and make elaborate safety arrangements for those in low lying areas in view of the heavy rain warning issued by the meteorological department, Stalin said. If the government machinery is incapable of handling the flood, it should rope in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to save the people of Chennai, he added.

Warning that the people were angered by the government not learning its lesson from its failure in handling the December 2015 floods, Stalin said Velumani and the CM who supported his corruptions should be worried and ashamed of the flooding in the State capital. “Be it the pandemic or December 2015 or heavy rains, the AIADMK regime has lost the credentials of being able to proptect the people,” he alleged.