With the Tambaram Corporation going to the polls for the first time, the residents eagerly await development works in their locality. Even among party candidates, there is hope of more funds being allocated for civic works, what with the upgradation of the erstwhile municipality.
With the Tambaram Corporation being the second biggest civic body in the vicinity after the Greater Chennai Corporation, the aspirations of the residents are high. In such a scenario, the stage has been set for an intense battle between political heavyweights — the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its rival the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
While the nephew of Tambaram MLA S.R. Raja and former vice-chairman of the erstwhile Tambaram Municipality D. Kamaraj has been fielded by the DMK, the AIADMK strongman and ex-Pallavaram MLA Dhansingh has got tickets for his wife Dhanammal (ward 13 in Pallavaram) and Jayaprakash (ward 22 in Hastinapuram) to contest in the Corporation election, which is to be held on February 19. Mr. Jayaprakash had earlier served as vice-chairman of the Pallavaram Municipality.
Unlike the Corporation elections in Chennai and Avadi, the civic awareness and the active participation of members of the residents’ welfare associations in the Corporation has put pressure on the candidates to improve the civic amenities in the wards.
Mr. Kamaraj, a three-time councillor, contesting in ward 49 of Tambaram West, said funds constraints would not be cited since the municipalities has been upgraded into corporations. Contesting from the ward which houses the cash cow of the Corporation — the Tambaram market — the 49-year-old veteran politician has big plans to streamline and renovate the market, which is prone to crowding, traffic congestion and dumping of organic wastes. He said the problem of garbage clearance was the prime issue and steps would be taken to clear and segregate the garbage regularly. As part of improving security in the market, he also has plans to install CCTV cameras and provide free wi-fi in the market’s vicinity.
Mr. Dhansingh said several good projects initiated by former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami would help garner votes for his party’s two contestants.
Even as the contestants promise to improve civic amenities, the residents want these to be on a par with the Greater Chennai Corporation.
L. Sundararaman, president, Chitlapakkam Muthulakshmi Nagar Welfare Association, has a list of civic amenities that need to be improved in his locality.
Social activist V. Santhanam wants the garbage tax to be removed, and calls for revamping of the failed underground drainage system and collecting of water and property tax on a par with the Chennai Corporation. He wants Smart City Projects to be executed in Pallavaram.
