TENKASI: As many as 29 out of the 33 councillors of Kadayanallur municipality submitted a petition with municipality commissioner M Suganthi here on Wednesday, demanding the tabling of a no-confidence motion against DMK chairman A Habibur Rahman, citing the numerous allegations levelled against him.
In their petition, the councillors, including 13 from the DMK and five from the AIADMK, alleged that the chairman had awarded contracts for municipality ward work to certain contractors without the knowledge of the council members, and illegally included several resolutions after the council meeting came to a close.
"Rahman awarded the contracts after receiving lakhs as kickback. He did not submit the revenue and expenditure details before the council members, and appointed domestic breeding checkers after taking lakhs as bribe. He also swindled the funds that were allotted to provide salary to these workers," alleged the councillors. They also accused the chairman of laying the roads of only those areas close to his own plots, and turning a blind eye to the rest in need of road relay.
According to the councillors, they had already brought the issues to Rahman's attention, but to no avail. "The chairman is not taking any steps to fulfil the demands of the residents, including road, sanitation and drinking water facilities, despite submitting petitions. As we have lost confidence in him, the commissioner should table a no-confidence motion against Rahman during the council meeting as per law," they demanded.
It is worth noting that all the said 29 councillors had boycotted the council meeting held on Wednesday. Though the meeting was earlier scheduled on June 13, it was postponed after a DMK councillor approached the high court stating that the chairman failed to provide the meeting agenda to the council members a week prior to the scheduled date.
Speaking to TNIE, a councillor said, "The municipal council comprises 33 members, including 15 from DMK, five from AIADMK, five from IMUL, three from BJP, one from AMMK, one from SDPI and three other independent members. As many as 29 members have demanded a no-confidence motion against the chairman. If all of them extend support to the motion, then the chairman will have to step down."