Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

Heated exchanges mark Council meeting in Ooty

Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Emphasizing their view: Members making a point at a meeting of the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council on Wednesday. -

Udhagamandalam: Heated exchanges, a demonstration and a walk out marked a meeting of the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council (UMC) held here on Wednesday.

The Chairman of the Council R.Rajendran presided over the meeting.

Shortly after the meeting commenced, George (DMK) lamented that though he had brought to the notice of the officials concerned that sewage was mingling with drinking water in his ward, nothing tangible had been done to set right matters.

With other members also complaining that officials were lax in discharging their duties and the Commissioner was not treating them with the respect they deserved, practically all of them left their seats and sat on the floor.

They also took exception to a resolution which stated that over 200 shops functioning in municipal buildings and the municipal market should be sealed for non payment of taxes, rent etc. and action should be initiated to recover the dues.

Withdrawal

Demanding the withdrawal of the resolution and transfer of the Commissioner, the members barring Imtiaz (AIADMK) staged a walkout. The Chairman adjourned the meeting.

Later, speaking to The Hindu, Mr.Rajendran said that the aim of the resolution was to improve the fiscal position of the municipality.

However Councillors including the Vice Chairman J.Ravikumar (DMK) and K.A.Mustaffa (DMK) contended that the measure was too harsh.

Claiming that compared to an earlier period, the dues of the traders inside the municipal market was not much, they said that in due course they would be cleared.

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