The plan of the Chennai Corporation to rename 50 roads, which are now named after foreigners, has been put on hold. The civic body had planned to rename the roads after Tamil scholars and other significant contributors to the language.
Speaking at an all-party meeting here on Thursday, Mayor M. Subramanian said that a large number of associations, pressure groups and political parties have suggested over 500 names for the roads and there was lack of consensus. “Many historians and experts felt that many of the roads have been named after foreigners who had contributed to our culture, society and development of Chennai. So the plan has been put on hold.”
Some of the important roads identified for renaming, included Haddows Road, Taylors Road, Ormes Road, Greams Road, Harrington Road, Sterling Road, Mcnichols Road, Balfour Road, Landons Road, Halls Road, Blackers Road, Montieth Road, Pantheon Road and Eldams Road.
At the meeting, proposals for taking up some of the initiatives such as the flyover-cum-subway project in Thiruvanmiyur, de-addiction centre in north Chennai, compact mechanical sweepers for each division, facilities that tap solar power, free patta for poor people residing in Corporation lands and foot-over-bridges near T.Nagar bus stand, Adyar Poonga and Ranganathan Street were discussed.
The 2010-2011 budget announcement about setting up of employment information centre for youth is are not likely to be implemented as such facilities would to a large extent involve duplication of the work undertaken by the District Employment Office.
