There has been a string of demands for creation of new districts in the central region of late with the latest being raised by the DMK MLA from Manachanallur Assembly constituency, S. Kathiravan, who had mooted the creation of a new district with the town as headquarters by bifurcating Tiruchi district.
Raising the demand during his maiden speech at the Assembly, Mr. Kathiravan observed Tiruchi was a big district and people in places such as Uppilliyapuram, Thottiyam and Pachamalai hills had to travel long distance to reach Tiruchi town to avail various government services. The district could be bifurcated to create a new one with Manachanallur as headquarters and including Manachanallur, Musiri, Lalgudi and Thuraiyur Assembly constituencies.
The demand for bifurcation of Tiruchi district is not new entirely – there have been demands and expectations of creation of a new district with Srirangam as headquarters during the period when former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa represented the temple town after being elected from here in 2011.
Welcoming the MLA’s suggestion, Saravanan Natesan, an activist, observed that the reasons pointed out Mr. Kathiravan were valid. “If a new district is created, the northern side of the Cauvery in the district will see better development and people will have better access to government services,” Mr. Saravanan Natesan said.
In recent years, there has also been a strong demand for creation of a new district with Kumbakonam as headquarters. Traders and residents of the town had made a strong pitch by organising meetings and agitations pressing their demand. The demand is to make the Kumbakonam division, covering Kumbakonam, Tiruvidaimarudur and Papanasam Assembly segments, a new district.
The issue was raised even at a recent public hearing on the expansion and upgradation of the Kumbakonam municipality as a Corporation, according to V. Sathyanarayanan, general secretary, Federation of All Traders Associations, Kumbakonam. “During the election campaign here, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had assured that a new district with Kumbakonam as headquarters will be created. We hope he will fulfil the assurance soon,” Mr.Sathyanarayanan said.
Post-election, there have been demands for creation of new districts from sections of people in Tiruvarur and Pudukottai districts too. A meeting of representatives from political parties and service organisations held in July in Mannargudi demanded the creation of a new district with the town as headquarters. A demand to create a new district with Aranthangi as headquarters was aired by a section of people in Pudukottai district too recently.
