GREATER CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu Government had decided in 2009 to create the Greater Chennai by merging Municipalities, Town Panchayats and Panchayats numbering about 46 with the Chennai Corporation. At present the newly-created Greater Chennai has 200 wards. Now at present Elections to all these (527) urban bodies - corporations to town panchayats - are going to polls in October, 2011. Now according to the present scheme of things, direct elections are being held for the posts of Mayor and the Chairman of Municipalities as it was in practice till 2006.

There are advantages and disadvantages in merging this suburban municipal bodies to the Greater Chennai. The proximity of these settlements on the boundaries of Chennai Corporation would stand to gain by the efforts of Greater Chennai with the help of Government of Tamil Nadu. There is no doubt that the volume of work in terms of cleaning of roads, collection of garbage & sewage, creation and maintenance of public park and garden, provision of drinking water, laying of good and motorable all weather roads, construction and maintenance of sewage lines and rain water drainage, proper lighting and control of traffic on major roads as well as junctions would increase on a massive scale. All these tasks will certainly entail an extra-ordinary amount of money, man power and mechanization. All these things will get reflected in the form of expectations and efforts of Councillers elected to the Corporation. The co-ordination of both officials and elected representatives as well as the co-ordination among the line departments would be needed for developing a clean and green Chennai.

Remember the earlier attempts made by the British Administration during pre independence days to allow self rule to the Indian citizens in the form of municipal administration. The Rippon Building near Central Railway Station in Chennai is a standing testimony to this phenomenon wherefrom all the city seniors did take pains to develop Chennai Metro from the beginning of 20th century.