Clash for Good

Salem:AIADMK members arguing with Mayor J. Rekha Priyadarshini and DMK members in the Salem Corporation Council meeting on Wednesday. The Salem Corporation council meeting on Wednesday witnessed heated exchanges between the ruling and opposition members over the supply of water mixed with mud in the city.

The AIADMK members brought water samples to the council hall and showed them to Mayor J. Rekha Priyadarshini. They demanded that the Corporation initiate immediate action to ensure supply of protected drinking water to the people. They claimed that many areas were supplied with water mixed with mud for the past 10 days. The ruling DMK councillors said that the problem had already been sorted out. This sparked off a heated debate between the councillors of two parties.

When DMK councillor M. Mohan (ward 50) interrupted Opposition Leader Venkatachalam (AIADMK), who was speaking on the issue, the AIADMK councillors opposed it. They came to the well of the council hall and entered into an argument with the Mayor. They protested that the DMK councillors were not allowing the opposition members to express their views in the council freely.

Later, Mr. Venkatachalam criticised the Corporation for delaying the revival of Panamarathupatti Lake - Salem water supply scheme. He urged the Corporation to ensure supply of water on alternate days. He asked the Corporation to regulate toll collection in the wholesale vegetable markets in the city.

Councillors, cutting across party lines, demanded that the civic body remove pigs and stray dogs. Stringent action should be initiated against pig rearers, who prevented the Corporation workers while removing pigs recently. The council passed a resolution seeking removal of pigs and their sale through public auction. P. Ashokan (DMK) urged the Corporation officials to initiate steps to prevent miscreants from entering the Kitchipalayam dump yard and setting the garbage heaps afire.

Replying to the queries, the Mayor asked the people who possess dogs as pets to obtain licence from the Corporation within June 15. The birth control programme for stray dogs would continue. She said that all the sheds in the burial grounds would be repaired within a month. The removal of garbage and drainage cleaning would be carried out through private parties in 21 wards from the first week of July. Corporation Commissioner M. Jayaraman and senior officials were present.