KRISHNAGIRI: Criticising the Krishnagiri district administration for failing to provide basic amenities in Hosur City Municipal Corporation (HCMC), over 800 AIADMK cadres staged a protest in Hosur on Tuesday.
AIADMK leader and former MLA of Kalasapakkam Assembly Constituency V Panneerselvam led the protest. "Basic amenities such as road facilities, street lights and sewage facilities are not provided to HCMC, which has 45 wards. Corruption is rampant in the HCMC administration.
For instance, high-mast lights were erected in 100 spots. The actual cost per light is Rs 1.80 lakh, but it was charged as Rs 4.50 lakh. Over Rs 2 crore was looted using this modus operandi.
Similarly, fixing basic amenities issues at 140 parks build during the AIADMK regime was not undertaken. The administration has failed to curb stray dog menace, and is exploiting people through high property taxes.
Nobody is willing to take shops on tender at the newly-constructed shopping complex near Hosur bus stand, due to which Rs 30 crore spent on the building is going to waste," Panneerselvam said.
"Officials are collecting bribes to issue approvals for residential and commercial buildings, and the damaged road between Hosur and Bagalur is yet to be fixed," he added.
When contacted, Hosur DMK Mayor SA Sathya denied the corruption allegations, and clarified that the high-mast lights were bought via tender as per government norms. The parks are being repaired in a phased manner, and tenders are yet to be floated for newly-constructed shopping complex built for Rs 20 crore.
Women cadres hit minister's photo
During the protest, women cadres hit Forest Minister K Ponmudy's photo with slippers for his recent comment on Hinduism.