Sivaganga AC: An administrative capital eclipsed by Karaikudi’s political clout

Despite its rich legacy as the land of freedom fighters like Queen Velu Nachiyar and the Maruthu Brothers, and its cultural pride as the home of legendary poets such as Okkur Masathiyar and Kambar, the Sivaganga Assembly Constituency—the administrative heart of the district—is often cited for its persistent developmental lag. 

With a total electorate of 2,76,156 voters—comprising 1,35,113 men and 1,41,038 women—this constituency has been a consistent stronghold for the AIADMK since 2001, with the exception of the 2006 and 2011 terms. Following this trend, the incumbent MLA, P.R. Senthilnathan (AIADMK), is slated to contest again in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.

During the 1983 reorganisation of Ramanathapuram district by the M.G. Ramachandran administration, Sivaganga was intentionally selected as the administrative capital instead of Karaikudi, primarily due to its significant cultural heritage and regional importance. 

Locals contend that Karaikudi’s political clout and economic weight have effectively side lined Sivaganga, with the district headquarters frequently losing to its neighbour for key infrastructure and development initiatives. 

Shanmuganadhan, a grocer in Sivaganga town, said, it was better to even bifurcate the district into two – Sivaganga and Karaikudi – so that both the districts receive equal developments and fund allocations.  

The State government has already shown its partiality towards Karaikudi by declaring it as a corporation and allocating a law college and a TIDEL park, among others, yet the district headquarters of Sivaganga remains a mere municipality, struggling with stagnant infrastructure and a persistent lack of industrial investment, he added.  

The local businesses in the constituency were surviving only because of the government employees who reside in the town. 

Additionally, he said, their demand for a government nursing college on Government Medical College Hospital premises was unfulfilled. “Though steps were taken to build a new building to start nursing course here, it was left midway,” he added.  

By bringing a nursing college, the female students after completing their school education could at least make use of the facility to improve their livelihood, he noted.  

As most of the students come from rural outskirts, female students who would find a suitable course and vicinity would abandon their education midway after completing their school education itself, Mr. Shanmuganadhan stated.  

However, if enough government or affordable educational institutions with diverse courses were available in the surrounding areas, the issue of discontinuing education among the female students would be reduced, he argued.  

Ex-Municipal Chairman and Southern Districts Farmers’ Association’s convenor M. Arjunan attributed the rising crime rate and deteriorating law and order in the district to the insufficient education facilities and industrial development in the entire district itself.  

Leaving out the handful of industries in Sivaganga, the education youth have no means to continue their life in the district. “This leaves them with two options – either to migrate in search of employment or to remain in their hometown underemployed,” he noted.  

The unemployed state obviously pushes them into criminal activity and substance abuse. Despite several studies and government appointed commissions clearly stated the reason for the increasing crime rate, the suggestions of the studies have only fallen on the deaf ears of the government, he charged.  

Regarding the constituency’s agricultural sector, he noted that because farmers are predominantly rain-dependent, they have been pinning their hopes on the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar link project to secure a water supply during periods of scarcity.  

However, he pointed out that although the project was inaugurated in 2021 with former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami laying the foundation stone at Viralimalai, progress has stagnated after the completion of only a few kilometres of the canal. 

The decades-old SIDCO industrial estate in Sivaganga is yet another example for an abandoned resource capable of providing considerable employment to the local youths.  

Mr. Arjunan suggested that the graphite extraction sector, which currently operates only as a small-scale unit, should be expanded into a full-fledged industry to fully capitalise on the abundant resources available within the district. 

In the drought-prone Sivaganga district, studies conducted 50 years ago revealed the presence of graphite in areas like Udayanathapuram, Kumarapatti, Pudupatti, and Komalipatti. It was widely expected that if a graphite factory were opened in this region, it would provide employment to thousands of people, leading to the growth of ancillary industries and transforming Sivaganga into an industrial hub. 

However, Sivaganga MLA P.R. Senthilnathan (AIADMK), commenting on it, reportedly said, “Funds were allocated during Jayalalithaa’s rule to expand the mineral plant. When P. Chidambaram was a Union Minister, he would promise during every election to expand the graphite factory, but he never fulfilled it. His son, Karti Chidambaram, who is the current Member of Parliament, has also ignored this.” 

“When the Environment Department denied permission for the plant to operate in 2018, it was during the AIADMK regime in 2020 that permission was obtained again to resume operations. I raised a request in the Legislative Assembly to expand the plant, but the DMK government has taken no action,” he added.  

Similarly, advocate Kotai Raman, said, the efforts to move the Additional District Courts to Karaikudi was opposed by the advocates as it would become a burden for the advocates practicing in the district headquarters.  

“When all the courts are present in Sivaganga, how can a law college be opened in Karaikudi where just the Munsiff and Judicial Magistrate court are present there,” he questioned.  

As grievances over the neglect of Sivaganga intensify, only a commitment to efficient and sustainable development can resolve the long-standing concerns of its residents.