The Hindu                  12.09.2011

Chennai Corporation set to have 45 more wards

City Bureau

The expanded Chennai Corporation will have a total of
200 wards spread across 15 zones. The total area will increase from
around 174 sq km to 426 sq km. A Government Order pertaining to the
expansion, issued recently, and details of the new ward limits were
placed before the Corporation Council on Thursday.

The
expansion, from the existing 155 wards and 10 zones, involves bringing
areas in the neighbouring local bodies. The expansion is based on
comparisons with other major cities such as New Delhi, Greater Mumbai,
Greater Hyderabad and Greater Bangalore.

The
delimitation has been carried out on the basis of 2001 Census. A
detailed exercise for delimiting the wards of the expanded Corporation
was carried out by the civic body in consultation with local bodies
concerned giving consideration to factors such income, area and
population. The expansion would help the Corporation generate more
resources, optimise expenditure and improve administration.

For
better administration, the civic body recently made a proposal for
appointment of three Additional Commissioners having offices in
Saidapet, Basin Bridge and Anna Nagar. The council meeting on Thursday
adopted a resolution permitting the civic body to obtain government
approval for constitution of 15 ward committees after the local body
elections next month. It also approved the delimitation of wards and
list of 4,877 polling booths.

The new northern boundary of the city would be Kathivakkam, the southern boundary Uthandi and on the west it would be Ambattur.

Ward
1 of the expanded Corporation would include 12 wards from Kathivakkam
Municipality and ward 200 would be Semmanchery. Names of all wards would
be decided in due course.

Corporation Commissioner
D. Karthikeyan said delimitation of wards had been done considering
factors, including geographical boundaries, arterial roads, population
and administrative convenience. A total of 18 Assembly constituencies
and portions of six constituencies are being brought under the expanded
limits.

Mayor M.Subramanian said population of each
of the wards would be around 45,000 of which eligible voters 35,000. The
existing 155 wards in Chennai city would become 107 wards. Of the newly
announced 200 wards, 116 have been categorised as general, 58 are for
women, 17 for Scheduled Caste of which 9 are for women.

To
a query, he said from an administrative point of view, the expansion
would come into force on the date of the notification of elections for
Chennai Corporation Council. The Commissionerate of Municipal
Administration has provided a list of recommendations to the Chennai
Corporation to bridge the gap in infrastructure development in the areas
merged with the city. Officials of the CMA said solid waste management
and bad roads in suburban areas, particularly in north and western
suburbs, posed a challenge.

Tamil Nadu Urban
Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd. is preparing project reports for
improving infrastructure at a cost of Rs.1,050 crore in nine
municipalities to be merged with the city. The eight town panchayats and
25 village panchayats to be brought under Chennai Corporation would be
covered under a Rs.2,000-crore proposal.

On
delimitation of wards, K. Madhu, a resident of Pulianthope said the size
of his ward would become bigger making it difficult for councillors and
officials. B. Kannan of Okkium Thoraipakkam said though Rajiv Gandhi
Salai and East Coast Road have developed, residential localities on
either side have not. “The local bodies do not undertake any
developmental activities,” he said.