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The politics of development

C. Jaisankar
Sivaganga

It’s hard to believe that Sivaganga, in southern Tamil Nadu, is the constituency of P. Chidambaram, the high-profile Home and former Finance Minister in New Delhi.

It is a typical rural town, deficient in infrastructure like most others; and Sivaganga district, with its 11.51 lakh population, is largely dependent on agriculture and allied occupations.

Carved out of Ramanathapuram district in 1984, Sivaganga is plagued by poor irrigation and frequent crop failures. People complain that the pace of development is well below that of other towns in the southern districts of the State.

Sivaganga constituency comprises Sivaganga, Manamadurai, Thiruppattur and Karaikudi Assembly segments in Sivaganga district and Thirumayam and Alangudi in Pudukottai district. Manamadurai and Alangudi are the newly included segments after delimitation.

Even 25 years after the formation of the district, Sivaganga, its headquarters, looks like an overgrown village with poor infrastructure. There is a lack of proper roads, good hospitals, hotels, schools and other facilities. However, Karaikudi, the biggest town in the district, has seen some development, thanks to the presence of a host of educational institutions there.

Voters complain that though the district has good infrastructure for rearing cattle and milch animals, this has not been put to good use. The veterinary farm at Chettinad, established to boost the economic activity in Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai districts, where cattle, particularly sheep, rearing is one of main occupations, has been under-utilised for many years. Due to the poor job opportunities, many youths go to the Gulf for employment.

The slow pace of development is one of the main poll issues here. People point out that there is no major industry to provide employment, despite attempts by Mr. Chidambaram, who is contesting for the eighth time from here, to woo industrialists to the region.

A couple of projects were initiated, including one at Manamadurai for producing steel. He also laid the foundation stone for the third phase of the extension of the State-owned BHEL unit at Thirumayam in Pudukottai district at an estimated cost of Rs.250 crore.

The Opposition, led by the AIADMK candidate R.S. Rajakannappan, says that in spite of holding powerful portfolios at the Centre, Mr. Chidambaram has failed to utilise his office to effect tangible changes in the district. They charge that he could not get the graphite-based public-private initiative to take off.

“Our Thalaivar [Chidambaram] has many achievements including bringing a medical college, industrial units, providing educational loan to 16,084 students and others. He has taken several initiatives to develop the constituency industrially and economically,” says Karti P. Chidambaram, AICC member and Mr. Chidambaram’s son.

Mr. Rajakannappan, who recently resigned from the DMK to rejoin the AIADMK after vacating his Ilayangudi Assembly seat, promises he will transform the constituency industrially and bring tangible development.

Barvatha Regina Pappa (DMDK), a former professor of the Alagappa University with a good track record, is also in the fray.

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