‘ Makkalai Thedi Mayor scheme will be implemented in Erode’

The newly-elected Mayor for Erode Corporation, DMK’s S. Nagarathinam (Ward 50 councillor), said that ‘Makkalai Thedi Mayor’ scheme, by which she would be meeting people once in a month and listen to their grievances and redress them, would be launched soon.

Addressing the media after being elected unopposed as the third Mayor of the Corporation on Friday, she said that in the absence of councillors in the past six years, residents were facing many issues and steps would be taken to address their problems in a month. She added that the dedicated water supply scheme and underground sewerage scheme works would be expedited and the damaged roads would be re-laid.

Earlier, the indirect election to the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor was held in the morning and in the afternoon respectively at the Corporation Central Office, in which both Ms. Nagarathinam and V. Selvaraj (Ward 21 councillor) filed their nominations. Since no other candidates filed papers, both were declared winners by Corporation Commissioner K. Sivakumar.

Of the total 60 councillors, DMK has 44 councillors, AIADMK – 6, INC – 3, MDMK – 1 and Independents – 6. Except the six AIADMK councillors, all the 54 councillors were present at the council hall during the  election.

Born in 1971, Ms. Nagarathinam has been a member of the DMK since 1986, while her husband Subramanian is the party’s Erode urban secretary. After the Corporation was formed in 2007, DMK’s K. Kumar Murugesh was the Mayor from 2008 to 2011 while AIADMK’s Mallika Paramasivam was the Mayor from 2011-16.

Mr. Selvaraj, born in 1962, is involved in real estate business. He joined the DMK in 1976 and was the vice-chairman of Veerappanchatiram municipality between 2008 and 2011.