The New Indian Express 30.08.2010
Kovai city expansion likely before year-end
COIMBATORE: Mayor R Venkatachalam (Cong), Deputy Mayor N Karthik (DMK) and DMK and Congress councillors are hoping that the State government will approve of the city expansion proposal before the end of this year as the Assembly election is due in May next year.If the government fails to okay the proposal, which has been pending since 2007, the mayor and deputy mayor will lose their image as their term will expire in September 2011. The civic body will go to polls in October.
According to sources, the corporation wanted to merge 32 peripheral local bodies with the city increasing the jurisdiction up to 506.47 sqkm with 14.60 lakh population (2001 census). District Collector P Umanath, Chief Secretary KS Sripathi and top brass of municipal administration discussed and reviewed the proposal many a time and have recommended that the rapidly growing 10 local bodies which include three municipalities, six town panchayats and one village panchayat may be merged with the city for easy administration.
The recommended 10 civic bodies are: Kurichi, Kuniamuthur and Kavundampalayam municipalities, Saravanampatti, Kalapatti, Vellalore, Vadavalli, Thudiyalur and Veerakeralam town panchayats and Vilankurichi village panchayat. Buildings, business centres and roads have already come up adequately in these areas.
Following this, the corporation has decided to implement the expansion proposal after obtaining approval from the government under section 3 (4-8) of Coimbatore Corporation Act 1981. The last city expansion was done in 1981.
Since this is the final estimation of the viable expansion programme, mayor and deputy mayor and corporation commissioner Anshul Mishra have informed the peripheral local bodies to pass a resolution in council meetings and give consent for the merger. Accordingly, these civic bodies are in the process of doing so as the residents have supported the proposal hoping for better facilities.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
