Councillors accuse Salem Corporation of demanding bribe from street vendors for issuing ID cards

Councillors belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and Vidhuthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) in the district, on Monday (December 29, 2205), accused the Salem Corporation of demanding bribe from street vendors for issuing identity (ID) cards.

The monthly council meeting presided over by Mayor A. Ramachandran on Monday, saw the passing of 165 resolutions. 

At the meeting, DMK councillors Santhamoorty and Bowmiha Tapsira, VCK councillor Imayavarman, and AIADMK councillor K. C. Selvaraj said that the Corporation issued more than 3,400 identity cards for street vendors. A person who is said to be close to Executive Engineer Palanisamy had allegedly collected between ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 as bribe from street vendors for issuing the cards. Actual street vendors did not receive the cards, but people who submitted fake documents received the ID cards. The Salem Corporation should enquire into the issue and lodge a police complaint, they added.

Councillor Ms. Tapsira of Ward 32 said that private people were collecting money from the shopkeepers at the VOC market. The Revenue Inspector and Assistant Revenue Officer of Salem Corporation were unaware of who was collecting the money. “Is the collected money coming into the Corporation’s account? As election is nearing, how could we gather votes?,” she added, urging the Corporation to take action in this regard.

Councillor P. Murugan (DMK) of Ward 59 said that while road-laying works were completed in many wards, no roads or sewage channel works had been done in his ward. “The Corporation officials have boycotted the ward, and the Commissioner and Mayor must look into the issue,” he added.

Councillor Selvaraj (AIADMK) of Ward 22 said that the 793 petitions received during area sabha meetings were not acted upon. Speeches of all councillors should be recorded and answers should be provided in the next meeting. A committee with all party councillors should be constituted to safeguard the properties of Salem Corporation, he said, adding that in Ward 4, land registered in the name of the Corporation was allegedly converted into plots. Later, the AIADMK councillors staged a walkout from the meeting.

Opposition leader N. Yadhavamoorthy said that the Chief Minister announced ₹100 crore for Salem Corporation, but only ₹21 crore had been received so far. The Corporation spent ₹4 crore for 89 days on domestic breeding checkers (DBC). But no one knows where they are currently employed, he alleged.

Salem Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan and Mayor Ramachandran assured the councillors that they would look into the issue regarding the ID cards. Only five Corporation staff members are collecting money from the shopkeepers in the VOC market. Issuing a work order for the third and fourth packages of UGD works is under scrutiny and will be issued soon, they added.