The Hindu 29.04.2010
Concern over action initiated against unapproved structures
Special Correspondent
| Council members resolve to meet Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi |
— Photo:M. Sathyamoorthy 
Voicing views: Council members expressing their concern at a meeting of the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council held on Wednesday.
Udhagamandalam: A meeting of the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council (UMC) scheduled to be held on Wednesday was adjourned to Thursday following serious concern expressed by the members over the ongoing disconnection of power and water connections to buildings which have come up without the approval of the municipality.
The action by the civic administration with the help of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and the police was in keeping with a recent order of the Madras High Court.
The members also resolved to go to Chennai along with the affected people and make a representation to the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
Inconvenience
As soon as the meeting commenced, with the Chairman UMC R. Rajendran presiding, many of the members voiced concern over the inconvenience which the disconnection had subjected the occupants of the buildings to.
Vice-Chairman J. Ravikumar (DMK) said that the opposition to the action should not be misconstrued as showing disrespect to the court order but before setting in motion the process of disconnecting water and power supply the officials should have informed the councillors.
Vincent (Congress) said that the action has put the councillors in a spot. Ravikumar, Nagaraj (Congress) and a few others said that if solution cannot be found to the people's problem the Chairman should consider dissolving the Council.
When Imtiaz (AIADMK) adverted to the blame being put on the Chairman by some of the members for the current predicament of the building owners, Mr. Rajendran countered it by saying that the Master Plan had been introduced during the AIADMK regime.
However others intervened said that the issue should not be politicized.
K.A. Mustaffa (DMK) said that only political parties can find a solution to the problem.
He wondered why action was not being taken against commercial buildings.
R.Ilango (DMK) said that action should be taken against the officials who were responsible for the present state of affairs.
Mr. Rajendran said that the owners of commercial buildings have filed review petitions.
He added that efforts were being made to get the government to agree to a one time regularization of the unauthorized structures.
Later when some of the owners of the unapproved structures met the Municipal Commissioner L.S. Girija she categorically stated that the municipality will go by the rules.
