Residents urge authorities to expedite UGD works

MADURAI A mosaic of problems like repeated digging of roads, roads being left unattended even after

A mosaic of problems like repeated digging of roads, roads being left unattended even after UGD works are completed and non-existent roads that turn slushy with rains damaging vehicles was echoed at a public hearing held here on Tuesday.

The meeting was chaired by Minister for Commercial Taxes P. Moorthy to discuss the progress of developmental projects in 21 wards in Zone I of Madurai Corporation.

The Minister clarified that the UGD works would take at least one more year to complete and appealed to the residents to put up with the inconvenience. “All the trouble of today will be worth it for the future,” he added.

Representatives of various resident welfare associations were called upon ward-wise who submitted their petitions to the officials after speaking about the issues plaguing their areas. While a few were seen by-passing the queue and airing the grievances directly with the Minister.

Myriad issues regarding the “slow-paced” underground drainage works to be expedited were spotlighted by the residents who collectively appealed to the authorities to at least make temporary arrangements to ensure access to roads ahead of the monsoon.

Ammaiyappan, president of Park Town Residents’ Welfare Association charged that the contractors engaged are “incompetent” and called for engineers, who are allegedly never present at the sites, to supervise the works. In defence, the Corporation Commissioner Simranjeet Singh Kahlon assured that Assistant Executive Engineers are closely supervising the works taken up under the Smart Cities Mission. He also said that the left out roads in Zone I would be covered in the future phases.

Informality laced the meeting with time as Mr Moorthy was seen calling out his party cadre to maintain discipline, interrupting residents who highlighted issues beyond “issues of underground drainage and pipelines,” while a few who attempted such topics were completely eschewed by officials.