Factional feud returns to haunt DMK during Tiruchy council meet

TIRUCHY: The factional feud in Tiruchy DMK returned after the council members, including the deputy mayor, who are all the staunch supporters of the State Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, staged a walkout against the projects brought out by the mayor, the lieutenant of the senior State Minister KN Nehru, during the Corporation Council meeting on Thursday.

The Corporation Council meeting was chaired by Mayor Mu Anbalagan, in which the subject of floating tender for poultry waste recycling plant at Ariyamangalam garbage dump yard was tabled.

He said the civic administration has initiated the steps to prevent dumping of poultry waste into waterbodies that would affect the groundwater, and the project was readied with the approval of the State Minister of Municipal Administration, KN Nehru and a Pudukkottai-based private firm was allotted the tender.

Soon, the zonal chairperson, M Mathivanan, a strong supporter of Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, opposed it and claimed that the residents from the area had been demanding to shift the garbage mound at Ariyamangalam. Despite their opposition, the civic administration has established sewage treatment wells, dog sterilisation centres and poultry waste recycling plants that would further affect the area.

“Already the residents had approached Anbil Mahesh and demanded withdrawal of the project,” said Mathivanan and ordered a walkout.

Deputy Mayor G Dhivya, Zonal Chairperson P Jayanirmala, and the council members who support Anbil Mahesh went out of the meeting hall.

However, Mayor Anbalagan explained about the project and claimed that it was a safe one and there were no environmental issues and asked the City Health Officer (CHO), Dr Vijay Chandran, to explain in detail.

The CHO said that the city generates 25 tonnes of fish and poultry waste, which are dumped in the waterbodies and along the roads, posing a health threat to the people.

“To prevent this, a recycling plant was planned. As the plant will be operated with the latest technology and recycle the wastes into the fish feed, and the tests proved that there are no environmental issues through these plants,” said the CHO.

The mayor later told the media that the project was passed in the council meeting.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK member KK Ambikapathi claimed that there seems to be some difference of opinion, but being from the same party, they could have solved it before the meeting.

Attempts to contact the Deputy Mayor Dhivya were futile.