CHENNAI: An unprecedented crowd of around 1,500 people from various parts of the city thronged the state secretariat here on Monday following an unconfirmed message on social media and a few newspapers that Chief Minister MK Stalin would be receiving petitions from the public to redress their grievances.
Just after the social media message, Information Department officials on Sunday night told reporters that there is no such move or programme scheduled for the Chief Minister on Monday. However, people started arriving at the secretariat early in the morning. The Chief Minister who chaired an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu issue came to know that a large number of people were waiting for him. Following this, on his way home, Stalin got down from his car and received petitions from some of those waiting at the Secretariat. CM Cell officials received petitions from the rest of the people gathered.
The CM had earlier announced the creation of a new department 'CM in your constituency' that will address people's grievances within 100 days. But now the public were under the impression that the CM was meeting them himself. Beginning from the entrance of the secretariat, the crowd stretched as far as the end of the RBI subway with residents from various parts of the city and even suburbs patiently waiting to meet him.
Civic activist David Manohar, who reached the secretariat at 7 am and waited for a long time, said, "I came to meet the CM on an issue concerning encroachment of a part of my land. Though I had raised the issue with many officials and filed RTIs, no action has been taken."
Prem Chander, a resident from Pallavaram, also said that he visited the secretariat to hand over a petition regarding a land dispute. "The local officials did not help," said Chander. Priyadharshini, a solid waste management activist from the OMR, said, "I am facing threats from local politicians when I try to expand solid waste management work in the Pudupakkam panchayat. I also wish to bring to the notice of the Chief Minister some more issues."