Chennai: The model code of conduct, which came into force on March 16 across Tamil Nadu following the poll notification by Election Commission of India, was lifted on Thursday. It, however, did not make much difference, as offices of key departments remained silent both at the Secretariat and at the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).The heads of departments and GCC councillors are awaiting the new govt, and new set of ministers and officers to assume charge. No review meetings are being held as of now. “The council is active on paper, but we are watching out on how things roll out. If there’s a new govt, it will be a challenge in getting resolutions passed. Plus, we have to get govt sanctions for every council resolution. So, it is better to wait for a new administration so that the bureaucratic procedures resume,” said deputy mayor Mahesh Kumar, adding that even financial sanctions will resume only after the next govt comes. The Secretariat and Ripon Building corridors aren’t buzzing with any files moving between departments, and no big projects are being discussed. All the councillor rooms too are vacant, the civic works in the city remain halted, while supervision and reviews haven’t taken off among officials.K Karthik, AIADMK councillor from Tiruvottiyur, said routine works are ongoing, but future projects and administrative reviews do not make sense when a new govt isn’t in place. “If there’s a govt change, we aren’t sure if they will dissolve the council or not. It has happened in the past. We will have to wait and watch,” he said. As a result of this logjam, several city projects launched by the previous regime remain stuck. V Sandhya of Anna Nagar M Block said the Bougainvillea Park Restoration has stalled, resulting in people walking outside. “They have not secured the underground cables in Second Avenue, which were dug up to build stormwater drains,” he said.
