DMK Councillors Allege Lack of Transparency in Coimbatore Corporation; AR/VR Resolutions Withheld

The first council meeting of the Coimbatore Corporation after the recently concluded Assembly elections turned contentious on Wednesday as DMK councillors accused officials of the Engineering Department of systematically failing to keep them informed about civic works in their respective wards. The elected representatives also complained that their queries and requests for information were being ignored.

Chairing the session at Victoria Town Hall, Mayor R. Ranganayaki, who is from the DMK, listened as several councillors, including zonal chairpersons and members of standing committees, voiced their grievances. They alleged that works such as road repairs, drainage improvements, and other infrastructure projects were being initiated and executed without any consultation with the ward-level representatives. "We are the first point of contact for citizens, but we are left in the dark," one councillor was heard saying. The councillors demanded an immediate system change to ensure regular coordination between the elected wing and the administrative machinery.

Ahead of the formal agenda, a symbolic demand led to a brief uproar. The Mayor requested that a portrait of former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin be displayed in the council hall, citing a relevant government order. This was met with support from DMK members. However, Congress floor leader Alagu Jayabalan insisted that a portrait of K. Kamaraj, another former Chief Minister with deep ties to the region, also be given a place. The disagreement escalated into a war of words, but newly appointed Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja, a career bureaucrat attending his first council meeting after assuming charge on June 3, promptly assured that Mr. Stalin’s portrait would be installed. The Congress demand was noted but not acted upon immediately.

Political posturing continued when AIADMK councillors submitted a petition to the Commissioner, seeking the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to look into alleged corruption within the Corporation during the previous DMK regime. The petition, handed over during the meeting, called for a thorough probe into financial irregularities, though no specific instances were detailed in the public session. The Commissioner acknowledged receipt but did not comment further.

Representing Ward 84, SDPI councillor Alima Begum registered a strong protest by walking out of the meeting. She stated that her repeated appeals for a new anganwadi centre and the relaying of dilapidated roads in her ward had seen no progress for more than a year. Her exit underscored the frustration of some members with what they see as executive inaction on basic constituency issues.

The council’s legislative agenda hit a roadblock when a resolution to allocate ₹85 lakh for an augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) laboratory came up for discussion. Ward 63 councillor Santhi Murugan raised a point of order, noting that the laboratory in question had already been completed. This revelation cast doubt on the necessity of the proposed expenditure. In response, Mayor Ranganayaki chose to defer 12 similar resolutions concerning AR/VR labs in municipal schools pending further verification. The remaining 71 of the 83 resolutions on the agenda were passed without objection.

In a notable political shift, Ward 59 councillor Mohan Medhu attended the meeting as an Independent member, having recently parted ways with the Communist Party of India (CPI). His change of affiliation was formally recorded, adding a minor realignment to the council’s composition.