CHENNAI: Ahead of elections to urban local bodies which are expected in a few months, Tamil Nadu will have six more municipal corporations and 28 more municipalities. With this, the number of municipal corporations will go up from 15 to 21.
Further, four municipal corporations -- Trichy, Nagercoil, Thanjavur and Hosur -- and three municipalities -- Chengalpattu, Poonamallee and Mannargudi -- would be expanded by merging the town panchayats and village panchayats adjacent to them.
Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru made these announcements while replying to the discussion on the demands for grants for his department in the state Assembly on Tuesday. He clarified that the ward members of the village panchayats that would be merged with municipal corporations and municipalities would continue in their positions till their terms end. Also when the term of the elected local body ends, they would become totally part of the municipal corporation and town panchayats.
A new municipal corporation will be established by merging the following municipalities -- Tambaram, Pallavaram, Chembakkam, Pammal and Anakaputhur. Besides, well developed town panchayats and village panchayats adjacent to these places would be merged with them while creating the new municipal corporation.
Also, Kanchipuram, Kumbakonam, Karur, Cuddalore and Sivakasi municipalities will be upgraded as municipal corporations by merging the well developed local bodies adjacent to them.
The 27 town panchayats to be upgraded as municipalities by merging the village panchayats located adjacent to them are Pallapatti, Thittakudi, Mangadu, Kundrathur, Nandivaram-Guduvancheri, Ponneri, Thirunindravur, Shozhigur, Edanganasalai, Tharamangalam, Thirumuruganpoondi, Gudalur, Karamadai, Karumathampatti, Madukkarai, Vadalur, Kottakuppam, Thirukovilur, Ulundurpet, Adirampattinam, Manamadurai, Surandai, Kalakkadu, Tiruchendur, Kollankode, Musiri and Lalgudi. The minister said two town panchayats -- Punjai Pugalur and TNPL Pugalur -- will be merged and upgraded as a municipality.
The minister also announced that the Kalaignar Urban Development Scheme, announced in the revised budget for 2021-22 to be implemented at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore, would be implemented by establishing community halls, markets, modern libraries and other basic infrastructure facilities.
Also, a wage employment scheme, on a pilot basis, would be implemented at a cost of Rs 100 crore in urban areas. This would be implemented in two zones of Chennai Corporation, one zone each in the rest of the municipal corporations, seven municipalities and one town panchayats each in 37 districts.
Key announcements by Municipal Administration Minister
600 ponds in urban local bodies will be desilted at a cost of Rs 460 crore
50 library cum knowledge centres will be established at a cost of Rs 100 crore to help those preparing for competitive examinations.
Roads and way lanes in Chennai Corporation will be renovated at a cost of Rs 300 crore
Under the Singara Chennai 2.0 scheme, 2.5 lakh saplings will be planted.
Underground sewage project works will be taken up in 17 areas at a cost of Rs 2,056 crore
Since the sewage water infrastructure in the central part of Chennai has become old, a detailed project will be prepared to upgrade it.
A combined drinking water project will be implemented at a cost of Rs 880 crore to provide drinking water to 665 rural habitats in six panchayats -- Nannilam, Mannargudi, Thiruthuraipoondi, Kottur, Thiruvarur and Koradacherry in Thiruvarur district.
A combined drinking water project to cover four corporations, 10 town panchayats and 3,973 rural habitats and for the districts of Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts will be implemented at a cost of Rs 5,800 crore. This would benefit around 50 lakh people.
Combined drinking water projects will be implemented in Dindigul and Madurai districts at a cost of Rs 600 crore and Rs 660 crore respectively.
Water resources, parks, sports and entertainment facilities in Chennai Corporation will be renovated at a cost of Rs 300 crore.