The Confederation of Organisations for Integrated Urban Development has demanded that the area of the Greater Chennai Corporation be expanded into 800 sq km from the present 426 sq km.
In a letter to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday, the Confederation’s president D.S. Sivasamy, a former Additional Director of Municipal Administration, recalled one of the recommendations of an official committee, constituted during the previous DMK regime. Just as the area of Hyderabad and Bengaluru is in the range of 650 sq km to 700 sq km, Chennai should have an area of 800 sq km, comprising Ambattur, Avadi, Tiruvottiyur, Kathivakkam, Madhavaram, Alandur, Pallavaram, Tambaram and town panchayats and villages. Despite being an old municipal corporation, Chennai was, at present, ranked 15 at all India in terms of size.
In 2011, before the local bodies’ elections, the area of Chennai was increased to 426 sq km, by taking under its fold the areas such as Tiruvottiyur, Kathivakkam, Madhavaram, Alandur and Ambattur. The previous AIADMK regime had separately made Avadi a municipal corporation. If it was not possible to enlarge the size of the Chennai Corporation to 800 sq km, the government should at least bring Tambaram, Pallavaram, Pammal, Anakapathur and Sembakkam under the jurisdiction of the Greater Chennai Corporation. Only then the areas would not only get the civic infrastructure comparable to that of Chennai but also have officers who could plan long term projects and schemes and execute them, Mr. Sivasamy added.
