CHENNAI: Ahead of the upcoming local body elections, Greater Chennai Corporation on Monday began renovating its council hall where the mayor will be chairing meetings. The hall, on the second floor of Ripon Buildings, has remained unused for the last five years since there was no elected council.
Corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said he had instructed his team to refurbish the facility. “The council hall is a pride of the city... we are ensuring its look of a prestigious hall is restored,” he told TOI.
The council hall will accommodate 200 ward councillors, four deputy commissioners, corporation commissioner, deputy mayor and mayor. A balcony has also been provided for journalists.
Raja Sekhar, secretary to mayor (yet to be elected), said the mayor’s chair is made of teak wood. It was first occupied by Raja Muthiah Chettiyar in 1933, when the council office was formed for the first time.
“The chair has since then passed on to the successive mayors and is the same till now. We just use varnish to repaint it. The hall represents an Indo-Saracenic architecture,” he said
In addition to that, the carpets and table-mics are being changed as well. “We are fitting new LED lights too,” he said.
The council hall was last renovated in 2011, and at that time, it had 155 seats. However, it was expanded to 200 seats after delimitation as areas like Thiruvottiyur, Maduravoyal, Ambattur and Alandur were added to the corporation limits.
