The corporation refutes allegations that it spent Rs. 4.55 lakh for a non-existent park, made by MDMK councilor, M Krishnaswamy, who says he has proof of the same, thanks to an RTI query filed by him. The civic body said that it had developed a children's park and footpath last April at a reserve site at Maniayakarampalayam.
According to Krishnaswamy, the reserve site at city government servants cooperative building society, was the only reserve site in Ashok Nagar that was not developed. "According to the bills, the civic body paid Rs. 4.55 lakh to the contractor N Dhandapani, but when we visited the site, we found that no development had taken place," he said.
Denying the allegations, senior corporation officials issued a press release stating that the works committee had sanctioned the park last January and the project was completed in April. "We set up the footpath and the children's play area at the park," said Prabhakaran, executive engineer of north zone. The engineers of Ward 41, where this site is located, stated they had all the layouts and design as proof. "The park site we developed is located at the entrance of Ashok Nagar," said an engineer.
Krishnaswamy said that the pictures and the site they were showing was located at MKP colony and not Ashok Nagar. "The site is located at Maniyakarampalayam but not at Ashok nagar," he alleged. The engineers refuted allegations, saying the politician was just trying to cause some confusion. The site developed by the civic body was located in a layout that was sanctioned in 1964 while the site that the party man showed was located in a layout that was sanctioned in 1980, according to the engineers. "I will take legal course and soon prove that the civic body had defaulted," Krishnaswamy said.