Anyone who wins the Alandur Assembly seat in the bye-election to be held on Thursday has a tough task ahead — fulfilling all the demands of residents.
These include remission of property tax by the Chennai Corporation, non-issue of house pattas by the revenue department, decongesting Fourth Main Road by connecting Fifth Main Road with the Pazhavanthangal road underbridge, and desilting of Adambakkam Lake.
Social activist V. Rama Rao said these demands were pending for more than a decade and, repeatedly, government agencies and elected representatives had failed to fulfil them.
Another issue raised by residents is the introduction of small buses to Nanganallur from the neighbouring railway stations. “Though the residents expected their demands to be met by the MTC during the second phase, it was not to be,” Mr. Rama Rao said.
Even though one small bus was introduced, it is catering to the needs of only 15 per cent of the population as the bus services do not touch the interior parts of Nanganallur and Thillaiganga Nagar areas. Commuters, comprising a large number of office-goers, have to shell out anywhere between Rs. 80 and Rs. 100 per day to commute to the railway/bus terminii.
Mr. Rama Rao pointed out that announcements had been made that under the ‘Amma Thittam’, house pattas would be distributed freely and quickly. “But to our dismay, several hundred residents had to stand at the gates of the Alandur Land Tahsildar office, keeping their fingers crossed,” he said.
Residents also raised the needs for an auditorium in Nanganallur or Adambakkam to host cultural events and for a full-fledged government hospital in the locality.
“We have been demanding the formation of a Lake Authority of Tamil Nadu on the lines of Karnataka, to overcome the problem of ownership and rejuvenation,” Mr. Rama Rao said.
Congress candidate V. Eswara Prasad, while campaigning in Moovarasanpet, promised the residents that the lake would be rejuvenated before the monsoon.
However, many candidates said the various problems would be resolved after the elections.
