COIMBATORE: Over 70 staff members working in various departments of the Pollachi municipality expressed concerns about facing political pressure from councillors during their routine fieldwork. They complained to the municipality commissioner on Monday, requesting necessary action to prevent political interference, which they believe affects their routine tasks.
Pollachi municipality comprises 36 wards and is home to approximately 1.26 lakh residents. Among these wards, 28 are represented by councillors from the DMK, four from AIADMK, two independent councillors, and two are currently vacant.
Staffs associated with departments such as water supply, public health, and town planning have reported increasing political pressures over the past few months.
They alleged that councillors from their respective wards often hinder their work and threaten to stall development projects without their approval.
Frustrated by this, the municipality staff gathered in front of the commissioner's office on Monday to stage a protest.
Upon learning of the protest, Municipality Commissioner M Ganesan convened a meeting to address the issue, assuring them that steps would be taken to prevent political pressure.
A staff from the water supply department said, "When we try to serve the public, councillors threaten us, insisting that we get their permission before carrying out any work in their wards. Meanwhile, higher officials question us if we fail to complete our tasks.
We are caught in between. It is understandable for higher officials to hold field officers accountable for incomplete work, but it is unacceptable for councillors to threaten us for doing our jobs. Over the past two months, we have encountered frequent political interference."
The official added, "Councillors show their influence over water supply, public health projects, hoarding installations, and building plan approvals at the town planning department, which obstructs our regular work and disrupts our routine operations."
Ganesan said, "The issue was resolved amicably through discussion. There are no specific incidents to blame anyone, but field officers have reported difficulties in their work due to some political interference. We will address this matter in the council meeting scheduled for Tuesday."