The Hindu 24.09.2014
Civic body’s zone-2 office inaugurated
Through video-conferencing by Chief Minister
The top brass of Madurai Corporation waited for three
hours to receive the ‘green signal’ before the new office building for
zone-2 on Race Course Road was formally inaugurated on Tuesday.
Even
as invitees turned up by noon, the actual inauguration took place only a
couple of minutes before 3 p.m., since the opening of new buildings at
various places in the State through video-conferencing by Chief Minister
Jayalalithaa got delayed in Chennai.
It was a three-hour-wait for all, including women members of self-help groups who had turned up to receive financial assistance.
Mayor
V. V. Rajan Chellappa, Commissioner C. Kathiravan, Deputy Mayor K.
Thiraviam, zone chairmen and a large contingent of councillors and
officials were seated on the stage till about 3 p.m. as they did not
receive phone call from Chennai to go ahead with the unveiling of the
plaque here after the Chief Minister completed the video-conference
process.
Official sources said that Ms. Jayalalithaa
had a very busy day in Chennai, chairing a Cabinet meeting, followed by a
finance committee meeting. After her scheduled official engagements,
the inauguration took place and it got over in a couple of minutes.
The new office has been built at a cost of Rs.1.75 crore to cater to the needs of people in 26 wards.
“By
October 1, offices and officials of this zone will be shifted to the
new building from Anna Maaligai where they are presently located,” the
Mayor said.
A. Mathuram, City Engineer, said that the
zone system was meant to provide easy access to the public to get their
requirements attended to quickly. “All officials and staff of zone-2
will be available at the new office and people can approach them for
sanitation, drainage, water supply, birth and death certificates or any
other need,” he added.
After the inauguration,
corporation authorities handed over revolving fund to the tune of
Rs.20.25 lakh to 81 women SHG members under Swarna Jayanti Shahari
Rozgar Yojana. Each beneficiary was given Rs.25, 000. Also, 4,500
youngsters from poor families were given financial help to the tune of
Rs.3.2 crore for skill development training.
A.
Palanisamy and A. Devadoss, Assistant Commissioners; I. Ranganathan,
Chief Town Planning Officer, and senior officials were among those who
were present.