Councillors from all parties take Vellore Corporation to task

VELLORE: In a rare show of unity, councillors cutting across party lines confronted the Mayor and Commissioner on various issues resulting in local body officials being on the backfoot unable to defend themselves at an ordinary meeting of the council on Wednesday.

It all started when councillors demanded to know why no work was being undertaken and why people were condemning the local body was not up to the mark in water supply, garbage removal, and even wages were not paid to pump operators for months.

Though, Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar and Commissioner P Rathinasamy came out with plausible excuses, the councillors refused to buy their version. One member demanded to know how stray dogs were caught in his ward without his knowledge.

Another demanded to know why lights have not been provided for months despite repeated assurances that they would be supplied soon. A Corporator demanded to know from where 10 tonnes of bleaching powder was purchased and for what purpose. Commissioner Rathinasamy replied that the said purchase was made by his predecessor.

When the topic moved to the drainage scheme, the lone BJP councillor M Sumathi pointed out that it was a central government project. “Tell us what you have done on your own,” she demanded.