TIRUCHY: The newly-elected council of Tiruchy Corporation has, in its first meeting, decided to send a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the government on renovating its main office building.
The Corporation requires about `40 crore to renovate the 58-year-old main office building. But disabled people visiting the main office said that before conducting a major renovation, the civic body should construct a ramp at the entrance of the building. At present, the building is not friendly to the physically-challenged, they added.
Though the Corporation has provided a ramp at the backside of the main office building, the entrance is usually locked. Apart from this, several people visiting the office are unaware of a ramp in the backside. Similarly, a toilet constructed for the disabled is unclean and remains locked most of the time.
"There is no point in having a ramp at the backside of the building as the lift is near the main entrance. Even if they keep the backside entrance open, it will only cause more inconvenience to the physically challenged as they have to go all the way to the backside and then they have to move to the front side to access the lift.
A ramp should be constructed at the main entrance. I had several times raised this issue with the Corporation, but in vain. As they are planning to renovate the main office building, it is time they constructed a ramp at the entrance," said M Kamaraj, a disabled activist.
Compared to the main office, the Corporation's zonal offices are in a better situation with regard to access to the disabled.
"Many people are visiting the main office building to submit their grievances, and to meet top officials and the mayor. This building hosting the top officials and mayor should be a model for other offices.
Therefore, the Corporation should take steps to make this building friendly to the disabled," said KR Kumaran, a resident of Anna Nagar. When contacted, Corporation Commissioner PMN Mujibur Rahuman told TNIE that the civic body will take steps to sort out the issues at the earliest.