The ‘Public Hearing’ which is conducted by the District Magistrate SA Murugesan every Monday was cancelled again on the third consecutive Monday. However, the DM was present in his office during the time of the hearing and conducted an informal meeting with those present. He allowed people to express their problems and gave solutions to some of them. Some of the problems were resolved during the session too.
As per the sources, the ‘Public Hearing’ was cancelled due to the anti-encroachment drive which is being conducted all over the city. “We apprehend that the people being affected by the anti-encroachment drive will turn up and create chaos during the public hearing if it is held. We cannot allow it. However, the meeting would resume once things are normal,” said a source privy to the DM office.
Talking about it, the officer-in-charge said, “The official ‘Public Hearing' was cancelled on Monday due to some issues.
However, as the DM was present in the office since the morning till the afternoon he heard out the problems recounted by the people present. This is why, no application or complaint was submitted to us.”
However, the people who turned up said that they are for the resumption of the normal public hearing. “It is good that the DM was there and heard us out informally. Some of the problems were resolved on the spot too. But it is not that DM would be at the office every Monday and informally hear us out.
The administration should take steps so that no chaos around the demolition drive is created during the public hearing. Those who have nothing to do with the drive should be made to suffer,” said one of those present at the DM’s public hearing.
Notably, the DM’s public hearing programme has remained cancelled since the time the High Court-ordered anti-encroachment drive was launched in the city.