S. Venkatesan, secretary, Elango Nagar Makkal Nala Mandram, Padi: “The announcement of the delay of the proposed expansion of the Corporation limit has come as a big disappointment. The proposal had brought in a lot of hope among residents that infrastructure facilities in the suburbs, which are crying for attention, will get a boost. The property tax charged by the Chennai Corporation and local bodies are almost equal. However, the suburbs lag behind in infrastructure development compared to the city. If the suburbs such as Padi, which are close to the city come under corporation limits, facilities including road and sewer network would be improved.
E.Mani, Chairman, Tambaram Municipality: “Tambaram is not part of a proposal to merge adjoining local bodies with the Chennai Corporation. However, the requirements of the residents are so many that they cannot be met by a municipality or a panchayat. The solution lies in creating Corporations outside Chennai and a proposal to create two new ones in Tambaram and Ambattur is still under consideration of the government. Creating new Corporations and merging far flung areas in a phased manner would bring out a lasting change in favour of the people.”