The announcement of the State government that it would create Tambaram Corporation by merging several fast-growing localities in south Chennai has elated a large section of residents, residents welfare activists and political administrators cutting across parties.
The government’s announcement comes as a confirmation of the poll promise made by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during canvassing for votes for Tambaram and Pallavaram constituencies during the State Assembly elections.
L. Sundararaman, president, Chitlapakkam Muthulakshmi Nagar Welfare Association, welcoming the announcement, said the two-decade aspirations of the residents were finally getting fulfilled. The new corporation had given hopes to the people of getting better civic amenities, including underground drainage, better roads, efficient solid waste management, better illumination of the streets and a metro train.
Tambaram MLA S.R. Rajaa, who thanked Mr. Stalin and Sriperumbudur MP T.R. Baalu for being instrumental in fulfilling the poll promise, said he aimed to make the corporation the second best in the State after Greater Chennai Corporation by implementing several welfare facilities through the appointment of an IAS officer as Commissioner.
Mr. Rajaa, who served as Tambaram municipal chairman and councillor, said in his very first speech after being elected as Tambaram MLA in the Assembly in 2006 that it was for requesting the creation of the Tambaram Corporation. Mr. Rajaa said although Tambaram municipality had been endowed with underground drainage facility, third railway terminal, and underground electricity cable network (for which work was on), upgrading it to the Corporation would pave the way for increased fund allocation and better civic amenities.
The Tambaram Corporation would have four additional municipalities of Pallavaram, Sembakkam, Pammal, and Anakaputhur, five town panchayats of Thiruneermalai, Perungalathur, Chitlapakkam, Madambakkam, and Peerkankaranai and 15 special village panchayats.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, which proposed creation of Tambaram Corporation in the Second Master Plan of Chennai Metropolitan Area in 2008, had conducted a comprehensive study of all aspects of urban planning and development and organised public consultations. The officials of CMDA agreed that the creation of a single municipal corporation of Tambaram by merging clusters of municipalities, town and village panchayats would facilitate implementation of large infrastructure projects. The flood mitigation projects in Tambaram Corporation were expected to be implemented after the new Tambaram Corporation Council takes charge, a CMDA official added.
However, political administrators point out a minor glitch in the formation of the corporation in merging the 15 first grade town panchayats.
Supreme Court’s nod
P. Damodaran, former village panchayat president of Mudichur, said the government would have to play an active role by taking permission of the Supreme Court to allow the merging of the 15 town panchayats with the Tambaram Corporation and then conduct the local body election. The failure to take the permission of the Supreme Court for conducting local body elections of the 15 panchayats coming under the St. Thomas Mount union and located in four Assembly constituencies of Tambaram, Alandur, Pallavaram and Sholinganallur would delay the process of these panchayats being merged with the Tambaram Corporation, he added.
Opposition to proposal
However, a section of residents of Pallavaram were not keen of their municipality being merged with the Tambaram Corporation as the residents fear that area would get a raw deal.
Social activist V. Santhanam said the merging of Pallavaram with Tambaram Corporation was not a welcome move as over the years the Pallavaram municipality, which has more population and wards compared to the Tambaram municipality, would remain ignored over the years. He said the residents of Pallavaram and Chromepet remained steadfast in their demand for merging the municipality with the Greater Chennai Corporation or making it a separate corporation rather than being attached to Tambaram.
