Residents of Mayiladuthurai are elated over Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s announcement in the Assembly on Tuesday that Nagapattinam district will be bifurcated to create a new one with Mayiladuthurai as headquarters.
“We are extremely happy over the announcement, a long-awaited one. It has been our aspiration for the past 25 years. Every section of society in the town, including traders and farmers, are happy,” said C. Senthilvel, President, Chamber of Commerce, Mayiladuthurai.
Since Nagapattinam was a big district, people of Mayiladuthurai region faced practical difficulties in accessing the district administration. “One has to travel for two-and-a-half hours to reach the Collector’s office in Nagapattinam,” Mr. Senthilvel said.
He expressed confidence that Mayiladuthurai would see much-deserved development. “We are thankful to the Chief Minister and the State government,” he said.
The advocates’ federation of Mayiladuthurai also welcomed the announcement. People of the region had been fighting for the cause for the past 30 years, it said.
“Over the past year, we have been pressing the government and lobbying for the creation of a new district with Mayiladuthurai as headquarters,” said Rama.Seyon, chief coordinator of the federation.
Arupathy P. Kalyanam, general secretary, Federation of Farmers Associations of Delta Districts, said a 30-year-long struggle had resulted in the creation of the district.
He expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister and O.S. Manian, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, and MLAs for their efforts.
