Deccan Chronicle 29.01.2010

Chennai, Kuala Lumpur to become sister cities soon

Jan. 28: Councillors cutting across party lines exchanged heated arguments with mayor M. Subramanian during the council meet on Thursday and alleged that the public were put to severe hardship due to the official negligence of the metro water and corporation officials.

The corporation council gave its nod to the civic authorities to sign sister-city agreement between Chennai and Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur Corporation. While passing a resolution to this effect, the council gave its assent to initiate the process for signing such a historical agreement with the well-known South Asian city. The objective of the sister-city agreement with Kuala Lumpur is to promote cooperation in municipal governance through exchanges, a senior corporation official said.

The PMK floor leader Jayaraman demanded raids by the health department in the bars attached to the government run Tasmac shops. He further explained that these bars were violating norms prescribed by corporation and were selling food items under unhygenic conditions.

Replying to the issue the mayor said that the civic body’s health department officials would begin conducting regular checks at Tasmac bars for quality and sanitation in the premises. He also pointed out that there has been tremendous response to the drive against restaurants that flouted basic norms.

PMK councillor S. Kalavathi who leveled a series of complaints against the civic officials also demanded an inspection by mayor in her ward. CPI (M) councillor Devi got into a verbal duel with Mr Subramanian over the alleged official apathy in repairing the damaged school buildings and public convenience facilities.