Members of 115 resident welfare associations in the Madurai East Assembly constituency staged a protest on Sunday against lack of amenities such as drinking water, drainage and roads in the added areas of the Corporation.
Thefast saw a large number of people from 11 wards who were present in support of the office-bearers of their resident welfare associations. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA P. Moorthy, who addressed the protestors, said the added wards, despite being annexed to the Corporation nine years ago, remained backward, compared to the old wards.
“Residents of these areas also pay taxes for water, sewage and garbage apart from property tax. It is not right to keep increasing tax without giving people the basic amenities,” he said. Mr. Moorthy said that he voiced these problems in the Assembly on four occasions. “For nine years, the State government has been telling us that they are working on a plan and funds. Members of the Corporation say they do not have funds to lay underground sewage pipelines,” he said. The Corporation had proposed to lay pipelines in the 28 wards, when they were added to the local body, at a cost of ₹740 crore. “Though they worked on the proposal, it was not implemented,” he said. S. Periyasamy, president, G.R. Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association, said the Corporation should involve residents’ welfare associations while formulating development plans.