The Hindu 17.04.2013
Arakkonam to come under Chennai limits
The Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) is all set to cover
the whole of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts as well as Arakkonam
taluk in Vellore district.
Minister for housing and
urban development R. Vaithilingam on Tuesday made an announcement on the
Chennai Mega Region to this effect.
“A preliminary
report to expand the jurisdiction of CMA to 8,878 sq km is being
examined by the government,” said Mr. Vaithilingam.
The
existing jurisdiction of CMA covering 1,189 sq km in Chennai,
Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts was declared in 1973-1974.
“Areas
outside the CMA are witnessing rapid development and there is a need to
integrate these developments with Chennai,” he added.
Census
2011 data confirms that population growth within Chennai district has
slowed, while in the adjacent districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur,
it has increased.
The focus of planned development in
the expanded CMA therefore, is likely to be move beyond
Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road towards the south.
Satellite Township
The
Minister also announced a development plan for the Tiruporur-Maraimalai
Nagar Corridor comprising 134 villages covering an area of 562 sq. km.
This will involves the preparation of base maps, collection of
demographic and social data, a physical survey, preparation of existing
land-use maps, analysis of current level of infrastructure facilities,
projection of population and future needs and working out spatial
strategies.
“The Thirumazhisai Satellite Township
scheme will be implemented at the earliest,” said Mr. Vaithilingam. The
creation of this township, on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway,
was announced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in 2011.
The
township will come up on 311.05 acres of land, owned by the Tamil Nadu
Housing Board. It will include the villages of Chembarambakkam,
Kuthambakkam, Parvatharajapuram, Narasingapuram and Vellavedu.
A
total of 12,000 flats will be constructed here, and be made available
to economically weak sections and to low and middle-income groups.
Reconstruction scheme
The
Minister also announced reconstruction schemes in 17 areas within the
city. The schemes include the construction of 3,646 flats as part of the
Tamil Nadu Government Servants Rental Housing Scheme and 2,606 flats
under a self-financed scheme at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,740 crore.
Occupants
in several existing dilapidated structures have already been asked to
vacate. The Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board will complete the
construction of 16,856 tenements in Chennai at a cost of Rs. 913.60
crore under the JNNURM in 2013-2014.
A socio-economic survey of slums under the Rajiv Awas Yojana is also underway in the city.
The survey is part of a larger scheme to ensure the city is slum-free in the near future.