The Greater Chennai Corporation will organize an orientation meeting and brainstorming session for councilors on Monday to explain the key aspects of local governance, infrastructure work, duties, roles and responsibilities.
All 200 councilors of the city have received letters in which they have been asked to be present during the session. During the session to be held at Amma Maligai, officers of all departments of the corporation will clear the doubts of the new councilors and give advice on resolving civic issues in their wards.
The session has been organized because many women councillors, who are newly elected, are not able to run the local administration and resolve civic issues in their wards. There have been complaints about the husbands of the councilors coming to the office to redress the grievances of the residents in the ward.
Some residents have also shared videos of husbands of councillors sitting on councilors’ chairs and talking to visitors. The police has also started action against the husband of a councilor for abusing the police personnel.
A councilor in north Chennai said the meeting would give them an understanding of the various departments of the corporation and the work being done for infrastructure development and welfare of residents.
“We have yet to learn many things about the local administration and our role and responsibility as councillors. Whatever we are doing after getting elected is to focus on solid waste management, street lights, roads, parks, hospitals and other major civic issues. Once the officials explain more about the departments, work and challenges, we will be able to address more complaints of residents,” said a councillor.
Each councilor has got new mobile numbers for residents to call and report on civic issues. The mobile numbers of the councilors of Ward 1 to 200 are starting from 9445467001 to 9445467200.