Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru said the process of
communal rotation in the newly-announced urban local bodies is
progressing and wards in Corporations would be increased as per
population in the local bodies.

Talking to presspersons at Salem,
Mr. Nehru responded to a question regarding conducting elections to
Corporation and said currently, ward delimitation and communal rotation
processes are on in the newly-announced six Corporations and 29
Municipalities.

However, the Chief Minister had advised to conduct
the polls at the earliest and officials are working towards it. The
dates for elections will have to be announced by the State Election
Commission, he said while adding that the party was ready to face local
body elections.

On increasing the number of wards in existing
Corporations, he said Wards would be divided in a Corporation as per its
population. Corporations with a population up to 3 lakh, the local body
would be split into 50-58 Wards, and for the ones with 3-5 lakh
population, it would be split into 80 wards, and in corporations with
more than 5 lakh population, at least 100 wards would be formed. In
Chennai, there are 200 Wards, he said.

Mr.
Nehru launched the desiltation of water channels at Silavari lake here
and launched tree plantation activities for setting up urban forests at
Vaikalpattarai. Mr. Nehru said for the next 10 days, water channels and
stormwater drains would be desilted to prevent rainwater stagnation. He
added that they have taken up 200 water bodies in Chennai for
rejuvenation, and similar measures are being taken in other urban local
bodies to rejuvenate water bodies that have been rendered useless.

Mr.
Nehru said that 9,097 vehicles have been deployed for the cleaning
works. He said 97,550 workers and 4,625 supervisors have been indulged
for the purpose. New markets and bus stands would be developed at newly
announced urban local bodies, he added.

He added the DPR was being
prepared for desilting three canals in Chennai, including the
Buckingham canal and Cooum river. Measures were taken to expedite UGD
works and the recycling sewage water project in Chennai, he said. It
would be extended to other places in a phased manner.

District
Collector S. Karmegham, Salem Corporation Commissioner T. Christuraj,
DMK legislator R. Rajendran, MP S.R. Parthibhan and other senior
officials were present.