With no action on demands, residents to boycott polls

Pallavaram federation takes decision to draw attention of Sriperumbudur constituency candidates

Residents of Pallavapuram municipality have threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha election on April 24.

At a meeting held in Chromepet on Sunday to draw the attention of candidates contesting in the Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha constituency to their long-pending demands pertaining to areas under the municipality, the Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram took the decision.

Some of the demands include remission of higher sewerage charges proposed by the municipality, dropping provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act (AMASR) 2010 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and non-commissioning of Radha Nagar subway work.

Secretary of the federation C. Murugaiyan briefed the members about the pending issues that had to be brought to the attention of the candidates of Sriperumbudur LS constituency. The members agreed to the boyott call.

Federation president V. Santhanam said members from more than 50 residents’ welfare associations participated in the meeting. He recalled that the member associations had conducted voter awareness meetings before every election, but this time they had to take the tough decision to boycott the election.

“We plan to issue handbills and paste posters explaining why we have been forced to take the decision,” Mr. Santhanam said.

Participants at the meeting were reminded that 3,000 petitions with one lakh signatures had been sent to various agencies, including the Chief Minister’s cell, for revision of the sewerage charges proposed by the municipality. The federation members plan to intensify their stir if the municipality goes ahead with the hike.

V. Selvam of Subham Nagar said the amendments to the AMASR Act 2010 by the ASI had stopped construction work in areas designated as ‘protected’ by ASI. Any construction work required in the regulated area needs a ‘no objection certificate’ from the ASI according to CMDA regulations. “More than 4,000 residents have been affected by this amendment,” he said.

A senior member of the ruling party, who was campaigning for Sriperumbudur AIADMK candidate K.N. Ramachandran at Keelkattalai, said these issues would be sorted out with the departments concerned once the elections are over.