Vellore, Tuticorin to be upgraded in August

Vellore, Tuticorin to be upgraded in August - R.K.Radhakrishnan
Urban local bodies, villages under Katpadi also included

Announcement was made in the last budget session

Municipality council resolution to be accepted by government

CHENNAI: Vellore and Tuticorin municipalities will function as municipal corporations from August.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi will travel to Vellore on August 1 and Tuticorin on August 5 to inaugurate the upgraded urban local bodies, Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin told The Hindu on Tuesday.

The government upgraded two other municipalities — Tirupur and Erode — as corporations last year. The announcement on Vellore and Tuticorin was made in the last budget session.
The decision to upgrade Vellore was influenced because of its historical importance and the presence of a large number of educational institutions that attract students from across the country.

Tuticorin is on the threshold of a new dawn with the port getting more vessels each passing day. The government has also declared that Tuticorin will be the new hub once the Sethusamudram project is completed.

Mr. Stalin said the government did not decide from Chennai on how the limits of both the corporations had to be drawn. “When we were aware that people living in urban local bodies and villages under Katpadi also wanted to be included, we studied the issue again. We have now decided that their [the people’s] demands are justified. These areas will also be part of the new corporation.”

The Hindu had reported on Monday that people in urban local bodies and village panchayats of the Katpadi Assembly constituency, located within a distance of seven to 10 km from Vellore, wanted their areas included in the Corporation.

The report had also stated that at an emergency meeting of the Vellore Municipal Council on June 9, the Municipality recommended to the State government and the Vellore Collector the inclusion of two third grade municipalities, four special grade town panchayats, 23 village panchayats and two reserve forest (RF) areas in the proposed Corporation.

Mr. Stalin said he had seen the report in The Hindu and it corroborated the earlier demand voiced by the people. The council resolution would hence be accepted by the government.

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Also read the related stories at: Wikipedia: Municipal Corporations in Tamilnadu