VELLORE: Over 45 resolutions were passed by the Vellore Corporation at its council meeting held on Infantry Road on Wednesday, addressing several key municipal issues. The meeting was led by Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar, Corporation Commissioner P Janaki Raveendran, Deputy Mayor M Sunil Kumar, and Deputy Commissioner Sasikala.
One of the major resolutions passed was the allocation of Rs 8.4 lakh for mosquito control measures aimed at preventing diseases like dengue. The funds will be used to purchase 500 litres of Pyrethrum 2% extract for fogging, 500 litres of Temephos 50% to curb Aedes mosquito breeding, and 4 kilograms of Diflubenzuron 25% to control larvae in sewage and drainage systems. These insecticides will be procured from suppliers approved by the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation in Chennai.
Other resolutions included addressing the city's stray dog population, constructing bus shelters in specific areas, and building toilets at anganwadi centres.
Councillors raised concerns about delays in ongoing projects, particularly underground drainage works, due to contractors failing to act on work orders. Councillors also expressed frustration over not receiving tender copies, leaving them uninformed about the contractors responsible. Commissioner Janaki directed officials to look into the matter.
Another major concern raised was the shortage of sanitary staff for desilting drains. Some councillors highlighted that their wards had only two permanent workers, while there are several temporary staff. Responding to this, the commissioner said that as per rules, only permanent workers are supposed to clean the drains. "As of now, we are outsourcing some 30 to 40 workers from a contractor to do the work. We will request for more workers. We will also see if workers in excess in some wards can be sent to wards that have less number of workers.”
The meeting also saw PMK Councillor Bobby Kathiravan, representing Ward 53, walking out in protest. Speaking to reporters later, she expressed her dissatisfaction with the deputy mayor’s conduct. "Why is the deputy mayor sharing his own ideas in the middle of the council meeting? And why are photos and videos allowed only for 10 minutes? Besides, the deputy mayor is cutting off councilors. That’s why I walked out," she said.