Many officials of the Chennai Corporation still cite the circular to ward off the questions thrown at them. True to the spirit of the order even so many years later, the Corporation continues to conduct even stakeholders’ meetings within closed doors with zero transparency. One such ‘secret’ meeting was held on last Saturday in the meeting halls where fishermen and Marina vendors were expressing their plight.

 

But, a few rare Corporation officials do believe in transparency despite the gag order. When this reporter visited one such official to get some information for a story pertaining to the web-based monitoring of ongoing works, he explained the technology in detail and said that after the application was developed, public could use the technology so that they can keep an eye on civic works in their locality. “We are as transparent as the sunlight and sunlight is the best disinfectant boss,” he told this scribe.

 

Surely, if the Corporation had more such officials, the entire civic body would have been disinfected.