Establishment of a town bus terminus, steps to resolve the property ownership dispute around the Sri Ranganathar Temple, improving amenities for devotees and sanitation in the heritage town are among the key demands raised by residents in Srirangam ahead of the elections to Tiruchi Corporation.
Putting forth a slew of demands for candidates contesting the elections in a charter highlighting as many as 23 issues issued ahead of the local body election, the Srirangam Nagara Nala Sangam has also pressed for the establishment of a bus terminus in the city.
“A bus terminus should be established to reduce traffic congestion in Srirangam,” reads one of the key points highlighted in the charter drawn up by Suresh Venkatachalam, president, and K. Srinivasan, public relations coordinator, in consultation with other office bearers of the association and a cross section of the residents of Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil areas.
The proposal to establish a bus terminus at Srirangam had been hanging fire for long. In the absence of a proper terminus, buses halt along the roadsides. The island town attracts a huge floating population every day and a proper terminus for local buses and also a parking area tourist vehicle was a felt need.
The Corporation unveiled a plan to build a bus stand near the Yatri Nivas on Panchakarai on the banks of Coleroon River in 2012-13 and even earmarked ₹ 9 crore for the project. The proposal was revived in 2019 but so far the project has failed to take off.
“The terminus can be established at the Srirangam Club land which was reclaimed by the Corporation recently,” said Mr.Venkatachalam.
Emphasising the need for a bus terminus, J. Anantha Padmanabhan, another resident of the town, observed: “There are frequent traffic hold ups on the Gandhi Road stretch starting from the erstwhile Devi Talkies to Rajagopuram/ Bus halt at EVS Street and Raghavendrapuram arch”.
The residents also press for creating parking lots for tourist vehicles, bringing in devotees to the temple right through the year. “We definitely need to provide proper amenities to the visiting devotees, as they are very important for the heritage town’s economy. Currently, tourist buses are parked at a private parking area on Melur Road by paying ₹100 or on the roadsides. Parking lots can be established at the space available near the Girls Higher Secondary School and near Amma Mandapam,” Mr.Venkatachalam suggested.
The dispute between a section of residents and the Srirangam Sri Ranganthaswamy Temple with respect to the ownership of properties around the temple has also been a major concern for the residents in Srirangam, one of the four zones of the Tiruchi Corporation. A large number of property owners with title deeds were unable to sell or pledge their properties after the temple authorities claimed ownership rights as per a title deed (number 1027) issued in 1866 under which temple authorities claim that 329 acres belong to the temple. The property owners dispute the temple’s claim.
“The issue has been festering for long and a solution has to be found. It has resulted in unauthorised/unregulated development and loss of revenue to the Corporation,” Mr. Venkatachalam contended.
Poor maintenance of open drains and solid waste management is another key concern raised by residents. “The open drain on the Aru Adi Sandhu near Veli Andal Sannidhi is in a very bad shape and needs urgent repair,” he said.
Mr. Anantha Padmanabhan too called for steps to prevent dumping of solid wastes, including plastics in open drains. The Thirumanjana Cauvery has also been bearing the brunt due to dumping of solid waste and discharge of sewage into the canal, he observed.
“Although there are a number of issues concerning Srirangam, it is rather surprising that the contesting candidates have not come up with any assurances on our concerns. They should assure that they will strive to fulfil the people’s needs,” Mr.Venkatachalam said.