The Hindu       24.10.2011

Council hall all set to receive new Mayor

Prestigious: Mayor's chair getting final touches at the newly-decked up Coimbatore Corporation Council hall ahead of the new council to assume office this week. — Photo: M. Periasamy

The Coimbatore Corporation has readied the Victoria Town Hall at Rs. 10 lakh.

Sources in the Corporation said that the civic body had added 28 seats to the existing 72 to accommodate 100 councillors, repaired tiles on the roof, built a new temporary structure more officials, installed television there and painted the building.

The new Mayor is expected to convene the Council on October 29 (Saturday) to elect the Deputy Mayor. The new councillors will elect the Deputy Mayor.

Prior to that the Mayor-elect, S.M. Velusamy, and 100 councillors-elect will take oath on October 25 at 10.45 a.m. at a function to be held at the Corporation Kalaiarangam in R.S. Puram.

Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy said that the Corporation was ready with the mayoral gown, sceptre and other paraphernalia.

The Corporation was forced to alter seating arrangements at the Council hall as the number of councillors went up from 72 to 100 after neighbouring local bodies merged with the Corporation.

As per the new seating arrangement, the Corporation had pushed the press gallery to the rear of the Council hall to accommodate the new councillors.

Officials who were earlier at the rear of the hall would now occupy the newly-built temporary structure and watch on TV the proceedings inside the hall.