Chennai Councillors Demand Rs 60 Lakh Ward Fund, Threaten Resignation

CHENNAI — Councillors across party lines on Friday urged the state government to immediately release the Rs 60 lakh ward development fund for each ward alongside the Rs 4 crore mayor’s development fund. Several members warned that they would resign from their posts if the financial allocations continued to be withheld.

The unified demand was formally raised through a calling attention motion during the council meeting in Chennai. Demonstrating their protest against the delay in fund disbursal, DMK members arrived at the meeting dressed in black.

During the discussion, DMK floor leader R Ramalingam pointed out that several civic works across the city had slowed down following the change in government. He also noted that tenders for some municipal projects had been cancelled, impeding local development.

Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumaar addressed the house and referred to the state government’s decision to provide cars to MLAs along with maintenance assistance. He argued that funds for civic works should similarly be sanctioned and released to support local administration. Magesh Kumaar also informed the council that Mayor R Priya had already written an official letter to the state government on Wednesday seeking the release of the funds.

Speaking during the session, Ward 141 councillor Raja Anbazhagan asserted that councillors should resign if the development funds were not released. AIADMK councillor T Sathyanathan backed the call for resignation.

BJP councillor Uma Anandan questioned the need to hold council meetings if pressing public issues are consistently left unaddressed under the pretext of a fund crunch.

Elected representatives from various other political outfits, including the CPI, CPM, MDMK, and Congress, joined the chorus of demands, pressing the state government for the immediate clearance of the ward and mayoral development funds.