TIRUNELVELI
The State government’s formal notification on creation of Tenkasi district with restructured taluks and new Sankarankovil revenue division has kindled hope that this administrative arrangement will hasten development of the western Tirunelveli region.
After Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami made the announcement about the birth of Tenkasi district by bifurcating Tirunelveli district, then Commissioner for Revenue Administration K. Satyagopal chaired public hearings at Tirunelveli Collectorate and Sri Parasakthi College for Women at Tenkasi on August 17 in the presence of Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish and the Special Officer for the new district Arun Sundar Thayalan. The hearings were organised to elicit public opinion on the areas to be included in the new district.
ADVERTISEMENT
After Dr. Satyagopal retired from service on September 30, the new Commissioner for Revenue Administration J. Radhakrishnan visited Tenkasi a couple of weeks ago for inspecting a few spots for constructing an integrated Collectorate complex.
Meanwhile, traders and residents of Sankarankovil raised a banner of revolt against establishing the district headquarters at Tenkasi, saying that it would be extremely arduous for people from Sivagiri or Tirvenkatam to travel all the way to Tenkasi at the extreme end.
When their attempts and petitions failed to evoke any reply from the State government, they organised a token strike in Sankarankovil and Tiruvenkatam taluks demanding the formation of the new district with Sankarankovil as headquarters. On their part, residents of Alangulam taluk wanted to be with Tirunelveli district instead of the new district, citing a range of reasons.
ADVERTISEMENT
Against this backdrop, the State government has come out with the formal notification on the formation of Tenkasi district with Tenkasi, Shencottai, Kadayanallur, Sivagiri, Veerakeralampudur, Sankarankovil, Tiruvenkatam and Alangulam taluks. It will also have the existing Tenkasi revenue division along with the newly created Sankarankovil revenue division.
Tenkasi revenue division will have 5 taluks with 154 revenue villages – Shencottai (19 villages), Tenkasi (45 villages), Kadayanallur (31 villages), Veerakeralampudur (24 villages) and Alangulam (35 villages). Sankarankovil revenue division will house 3 taluks with 97 revenue villages – Sivagiri (21 villages), Sankarankovil (35 villages) and Tiruvenkatam (41 villages).
Tirunelveli district will continue to have Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai, Maanur, Nanguneri, Thisaiyanvilai, Radhapuram, Ambasamudram and Cheranmahadevi taluks and Tirunelveli and Cheranmahadevi revenue divisions.
Tirunelveli revenue division will have 3 taluks with 154 revenue villages - Tirunelveli (62), Palayamkottai (60) and Maanur (32); Cheranmahadevi will have 5 taluks with 211 revenue villages – Cheranmahadevi (51), Ambasamudram (29), Nanguneri (74), Radhapuram (36) and Thisaiyanvilai (21).
“This region, known for its tourism potential, will grow with a Collector here itself. Moreover, new industries, especially software industries, are likely to arrive here,” says a doctor from Tenkasi.
MDMK, , which has welcomed the move, has expressed dissatisfaction over the annexing of Sankarankovil and Tiruvenkatam taluks with Tenkasi.
“We wanted Sankarankovil and Thiruvenkatam taluks to be with Tirunelveli. But the government has ignored people’s plea,” T. M. Rajendran, MDMK’s Tirunelveli rural district secretary, says. The Chief Minister should also consider trifurcation of Tirunelveli with Tenkasi and Sankarankovil as headquarters of the new districts, he adds.