CHENNAI At a public hearing for delimitation of boundaries of wards for the newly formed Tambaram Corporation, the residents have demanded uniform delimitation of wards.
The public hearing organised by the Tamil Nadu Delimitation Commission at Tambaram on Thursday saw residents and representatives of political parties from Pallavaram, Tambaram, Kundrathur, Mangadu, Ranipet, and Chitlapakkam, participating and presenting their grievances.
Most of them said the present demarcation of wards in municipalities, special panchayats and panchayats had been done in a disorganised manner.
K. Chinnaraj, an office-bearer of the Irumbuliyur Village Welfare Association, said the residents wholeheartedly welcomed the forming of the Tambaram Corporation but were disappointed in the relocation of Vijayarangam Street from Irumbuliyur to Ganapathipuram. This would cause hardship to residents who had to go in for change of address as well as travel a long distance to vote in a different locality, he said.
Dhanraj of Kundrathur said the division of wards had been carried out in a haphazard manner and urged the Delimitation Commission to fix minimum population for each ward so that the size of the electorate remained the same in all wards.
Residents of Mehta Nagar in Kundrathur gave a representation about their locality being divided into five wards disregarding their views. They wanted their wards to be redrawn so that all streets fall under one ward.
Similar views were expressed by the people of Mangadu. Citing the population of Poonamallee, which had fewer wards, the residents of Mangadu wanted fewer number of wards.
Former Pallavaram MLA and Municipality Chairman P. Dhansingh said the Pallavaram Municipality had been supposed to be bigger than Tambaram Municipality. The officials of the Delimitation Commission should keep in view the population of the wards and not the number of houses.
Social activist V. Santhanam said the public hearing should have been held before the announcement of the Tambaram Corporation with which Pallavaram Municipality had been merged.
The Municipal Administration Department went ahead with the formation of Tambaram Corporation ignoring the plea of the residents who wanted their suburb to be brought under the Greater Chennai Corporation.
While demarcating the wards in the expanded Tambaram Corporation, the officials should keep in view the need for smaller wards where individuals could contest as Independent candidates for better opportunities.
A senior official of Kancheepuram district said 42 petitions had been received. Of these three petitions had been recommended to the Delimitation Commission for its consideration. “The remaining 39 petitions are being studied and would be sent to the Commission for action,” he added.