Makkalai Thedi Mayor to start from April 1 at zonal office

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to implement Makkalai Thedi Mayor from April 1.

Mayor R Priya would receive petitions from the people visiting zonal office every month starting from April 1.

Though residents welcome the initiative, they opined that the Mayor must organise meetings combining at least 3-4 wards. A letter to the GCC encouraged the Mayor to be more active on social media to resolve issues quickly.

“Each zone has 10-14 wards under its control; there could be many who want to meet her. When such a huge gathering descends at the regional offices each month, we’d only be handing over petitions. There won’t be any interaction with the Mayor,” said VS Jayaraman, member of T Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association. “Instead,

the civic body can organise a meeting combining at least 3-4 wards twice a month so that we’d get a chance to raise our grievances. We have filed complaints to the Mayor’s and deputy mayor’s WhatsApp numbers but did not receive any kind of response.”

Residents tried to reach the corporation officials on various platforms but there has been no response from them. But they also stated that the complaints raised during the monthly council meeting at the Ripon Building have been resolved within the stipulated time.

“As most people are daily wagers, it’d be difficult for them to wait for the Mayor in the zonal office. It’d be helpful if there is a meeting held in wards so that denizens could interact with the officials directly and resolve the issue,” said R Venkattaiya, a resident of Ernavoor.

The GCC can organise a meeting combining at least 3-4 wards twice a month so that we’d get a chance to raise our grievances — VS Jayaraman, T Nagar Residents’ Welfare Assn