Chennai: Councillor’s husband interrupting SWD work, says GCC contractor

CHENNAI: A contractor has alleged that the husband of the councillor of ward 31 in chief minister M K Stalin’s Kolathur constituency stopped storm water drain work at Lakshmipuram and abused the site engineer. Asking the engineer to address him as councillor, Congress councillor Sangeetha Babu’s husband Babu allegedly told him that no work should be carried out without his knowledge.
The contractor shared an audio clip in which Babu was purportedly abusing the site engineer. When contacted, contractor R Rama Rao, who is also president of the Greater Chennai Corporation’s contractors’ association, said this was not the first time such incidents have happened.
“They interfere in our work frequently and threaten us. They don’t let us do any work without informing them. We are contractors of the GCC. Why should we meet councillors or their husbands to get permission to work?” he said.
In her response, councillor Sangeetha told TOI that her husband questioned the contractor only about damage being done to the pipelines during the work. “They have damaged all the pipelines and have pulled out all the electricity poles. All these poles are discarded on the road.
My husband only questioned the damaged pipelines and asked them to fix them before proceeding with the work. We did not ask for money. We want the work to be completed, but it should be done properly,” she said. Her husband Babu did not respond to calls.
Meanwhile, a senior corporation official said they have received a complaint, and would investigate it. The official said a circular had been issued to all zones and ward offices not to allow councillors’ husbands to attend meetings. The civic body also received complaints from ward 112 in Teynampet zone about councillors and their family members interruting work. “They should speak to the corporation engineers, not harass us,” Rama Rao said.