The ongoing road-relaying work being carried out by Chennai corporation through a private contractor came to halt on Tuesday at Thiru Vi Ka Nagar following a scuffle between contract workers and an AIADMK leader.
Heated arguments broke out between the private contractor and a woman councillors’ husband in north Chennai when the later complained that they were laying substandard roads, according to local police sources.
The private contract workers retorted that the corporation divisional and zonal engineers were monitoring the quality of the roads and insisted that the 'intruders' vacate the spot.
The irked ruling party members allegedly assaulted the workers, complainants informed the police.
Subsequently, the supervisor of the private firm lodged a police complaint and demanded action.
Local corporation workers and the contract labourers abandoned the repair work in division 68, where the incident took place.
A local police official said that he was yet to receive any information about the scuffle.
However, senior corporation officials confirmed the incident and said a CSR has been registered with the local police.
“The local zonal official has been directed to look into the issue and resume repair work,” a senior corporation official said.
A similar incident had taken place in Kodambakkam during the previous DMK regime, and when the issue was taken up with the then mayor M. Subramanian, police action was initiated against the DMK councillor, recalled an office bearer of Chennai Corporation contractors association.
“If this dangerous situation continues, we would lodge our complaints with the chief minister’s cell, seeking Amma’s intervention,” the office bearer said.