Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner-designate P. Kumaravel Pandian has two challenges before him – one short-term and another long-term, is how sources within and without the Corporation described the officer’s new assignment.

The short-term one, of course, was effectively containing the spread of COVID-19 in the city, where there had been an increase in cases in the recent past.

The increase in COVID-19 cases in the city, the district administration designating senior officers as coordinators to streamline containment work in the Corporation's five zones and Commissioner Sravan Kumar Jatavath's transfer in the midst of a pandemic showed the seriousness of the challenge Mr. Pandian faced, said a civic activist, who wanted not to be identified.

In reviewing the Corporation’s strategy, if Mr. Pandian were to also take up issues of shortage of doctors, paramedical staff and the issue of the Department of Public Health continuing to have administrative control of a few health centres in the city, it would help improve health service delivery, said a Corporation source.

The long-term challenge before the incoming officer is expeditious completion of projects worth hundreds of crores of rupees. Right from land acquisition for the Pilloor III drinking water project to, lake front development under Smart Cities Mission to model roads to biomining to 24x7 drinking water supply improvement in core city to underground drainage in added areas, the civic body has had a number of projects that had progressed at snail’s pace.

Mr. Pandian would have to ensure that the Corporation finished the projects in time to prevent cost escalation, said an officer.

The new officer would have to do so also because he should be seen as delivering results for the ruling party ahead of the 2021 election, added the activist.

But the over-all challenge would be to keep the Corporation going with a near-empty cash box, added the officer.