Salem, 25 September: Salem City Mayor A. Ramachandran has written to the Governor of Tamil Nadu seeking departmental action against Salem Corporation Commissioner Lalitaditya Neelam and asking for permission and protection for a planned indefinite sit-in by the Mayor and councillors in the Mayor’s chamber from 10 a.m. on September 25.
Mayor alleges non-compliance with Urban Local Bodies rules
In a letter dated 22 September, the Mayor alleged that the Commissioner failed to send resolutions passed in council meetings held in May, June, July and August 2026 to the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA), the District Collector and the Tamil Nadu Government, as required under Urban Local Bodies rules. The Mayor said councillors had repeatedly objected and that a complaint had already been lodged with the DMA, but the Commissioner had "maintained his approach".
For the September council meeting, the Mayor said the date was fixed as 25 September and the meeting agenda was sent to the Commissioner to circulate to councillors on 18 September. The Mayor alleged the agenda had not yet been sent out; under the rules the agenda should be circulated several days in advance of a meeting.
"Against the Commissioner, I (Mayor) and the councillors are going to stage an indefinite sit-in protest in the Mayor’s chamber from 10 a.m. on September 25 (Friday). The Governor must give permission and adequate protection for the protest," the Mayor wrote in the letter.
Immediate demand and planned protest
The Mayor demanded that the Governor take steps at the departmental level to ensure September’s council meeting could be conducted without administrative obstruction. He specifically sought the Governor’s intervention on two counts: that the Commissioner be directed to transmit the past resolutions to the DMA, District Collector and State Government, and that law-and-order arrangements be made to permit the sit-in.
- Alleged failure to forward council resolutions from May to August 2026.
- Agenda for the 25 September council meeting allegedly not circulated to councillors as required.
- Mayor and councillors to stage an indefinite sit-in from 10 a.m. on 25 September, seeking Governor’s permission and protection.
Responses and procedural status
When contacted, the Mayor confirmed dispatch of the letter and reiterated that the protest would be held on Friday. The Corporation Commissioner was not available for comment, according to the report.
The Mayor’s letter refers to duties under Urban Local Bodies rules that require the Commissioner to send council resolutions to the DMA, District Collector and state government. The letter also notes that councillors had raised objections earlier and had taken the matter to the DMA, but says the Commissioner continued the allegedly non-compliant practice.
| Month | Allegation |
|---|---|
| May 2026 | Resolutions not forwarded |
| June 2026 | Resolutions not forwarded |
| July 2026 | Resolutions not forwarded |
| August 2026 | Resolutions not forwarded |
The Mayor has urged the Governor to direct the relevant departments to ensure the council meeting scheduled for 25 September proceeds and to take departmental action against the Commissioner. The Mayor’s communication underscores tensions between elected municipal representatives and the appointed civic administration amid claims of procedural lapses.
With the Commissioner unavailable for comment, the next steps will depend on any response from the Governor’s office and the DMA. If the Governor grants permission and protection for the sit-in, the protest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on 25 September in the Mayor’s chamber.
The situation highlights procedural governance issues in Salem Corporation and raises questions about the channels through which council resolutions reach district and state authorities—an important administrative process for implementation of municipal decisions.
