Mayor Indirani Ponvasanth, centre, Deputy Mayor T. Nagarajan, right, and Corporation Commissioner C. Dinesh Kumar take part in the council meeting at Madurai Corporation on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: R. ASHOK
Complaints over the bad state of roads, delay in implementation of underground drainage works, need for adequate infrastructure at the bus termini in Madurai were some of the key issues raised at Madurai Corporation Council meeting on Wednesday.
The councillors complained about the bad condition of the roads in many parts of the city. Some of the areas referred to included areas such as K.K. Nagar, Gomathipuram, P and T Nagar and Anaiyur. The councillors pointed out that some of the roads in the city were more than a decade old and needed to be relaid.
The roads were dusty and unmotorable and immediate attention was required to set things right. The ongoing works at Melamadai should be expedited. Complaints of poorly-illuminated streets due to inadequate street lights, particularly between Mattuthavani and Anaiyur, were also raised at the meeting. Not only the arterial roads in the city, but also the streets leading to the residential blocks were in a bad condition and needed to be relaid, they said.
Zone 1 chairperson S. Vasuki said encroachments along the roads should be removed. MLA M. Boominathan said various projects that were earmarked for the city should be expedited. He added that following inspections by the Mayor and Corporation Commissioner, the works were being carried out in a swift manner.
Mayor Indirani Ponvasanth and Corporation Commissioner C. Dinesh Kumar said the road repair works had started and the issue on bad quality of roads would be resolved in due course.
AIADMK leader in the council Solairaja raised a query on status of the action taken against the bill collectors involved in a fraud with regard to property tax. The Commissioner said that five of them had been suspended so far. A committee was formed to conduct an inquiry. Based on the report submitted by the committee, appropriate action would be taken.
Raising a query over dengue preparedness in the city, Mr. Solairaja pointed out that one of the councillor’s grandson had died and the last rites were to take place. He said that there was apprehension that the death could have been due to dengue. Later, the Corporation and the Health officials confirmed that the death of the child was not due to dengue.
He also sought to know the status of Mullaperiyar drinking water project aimed at ensuring drinking water supply to all the 100 wards of Madurai. The officials said that the project would be completed by September next year.
The councillors said that there was a need to revamp Mattuthavani bus terminus and steps should be taken to open Periyar bus stand shopping complex as soon as possible. In order to tackle stray cattle menace, the officials said that bull tamers would be engaged to impound them.
The meeting was held for only a little over an hour as DMK councillors left for attending a party meeting and the others left to attend the last rites of the councillor’s grandson.