Councillors Complain About Rampant Corruption in Sivakasi Corporation
A lengthy council meeting was held in Sivakasi Corporation on Thursday after councillors demanded that all 202 agenda items be read aloud. The meeting was chaired by Mayor I. Sangeetha, with Corporation Commissioner K. Saravanan and Deputy Mayor Vignesh Priya present. It started around 11:30 a.m.
Concerns Over Corruption and Public Services
The Mayor agreed to the councillors' request to read every subject following objections in the previous meeting, where none of the 173 agenda items were discussed due to councillors’ protests against the excessive number of topics.
Allegations of Bribery in Property Tax Collection
Sethuraman, councillor for Ward 7, raised serious concerns about corruption in property tax assessments.
“No tax can be fixed for any property without paying ₹50,000 bribe,”
he claimed. When Commissioner Saravanan tried to intervene, Sethuraman stated that he had previously brought this issue directly to the Commissioner, but no improvements had been made.
Impact on Councillors and Upcoming Elections
Sethuraman warned that unless corrupt officers change their ways, councillors will struggle to meet voters during the upcoming Assembly elections, which may affect their chances of securing votes.
“The councillors would not be able to meet the people seeking votes during the ensuing Assembly election, if the corrupt officers do not change their behaviour.”
Photo Credit
Photo showing councillors arguing with Mayor I. Sangeetha and Commissioner K. Saravanan at the council meeting in Sivakasi on Thursday.
Author's summary: Councillors in Sivakasi Corporation voice strong concerns about entrenched corruption, particularly bribery in property tax, which threatens their ability to serve constituents effectively before elections.