Execution of development projects, infrastructure augmentation to occupy centre stage in electioneering

Yet another intense battle of ballots is on the cards in the district with the ruling party and the Opposition banking on the commissions and omissions in the past five years to attract the voters closer to them.

Even though the ruling DMK had executed good number of development schemes, the failure in commencing a few infrastructure projects in the district has distanced it from the voters.

The public, especially the children going to the schools in the morning and evening and the critically-ill patients being rushed to the hospitals in the ambulances, are held-up at the Kulavanigarpuram manned railway level crossing 14 times a day, but the work on the construction of the rail overbridge at this busy spot is yet to be commenced. Interestingly, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that rail overbridge at Kulavanigarpuram manned level crossing would be built without affecting smooth flow of vehicles to and from Melapalayam.

However, the vehicles line-up till Palayamkottai bus-stand in the north and up to the playground of Florence Swainson Higher Secondary School for the Deaf in the south 14 times a day. Normalcy returns to this spot only after 15 minutes every time after the gate is opened.

“The announcement on construction of the rail over bridge at Kulavanigarpuram manned level crosssing was made by Mr. Stalin during his visit to Tirunelveli district in September 2022. And, this promise was comfortably forgotten by this government and the people’s ordeal continues. However, Mr. Stalin, during his visit to Tirunelveli last month, proudly claimed that work on this rail overbridge was on while not even the first brick has been placed for this work,” says Thatchai N. Ganesa Raja, Tirunelveli district secretary of AIADMK.

He also pointed out that Mr. Stalin’s promise in the same meeting on establishing a biodiversity and adventure park at Manimuthar dam had also been put in cold storage.

The much-delayed second and the third phase of underground drainage project being implemented by the Tirunelveli Corporation since 2018 is also a black-spot on the urban local body as the public, navigating the roads dug for this project suffer a lot every time they go out. Even though processing of building plan approval applications, vacant land tax appeals, fixation of property tax etc. have been made online, the obstacles being created by the officials of Tirunelveli Corporation for obvious reasons has earned really bad name for the government.

Similarly, the undue delay in granting permission by the Local Planning Authority for the commercial spaces and bigger residential projects even after the online system was introduced irks the voters.

Even though the DMK government had promised to initiate a study to take the surplus water of Papanasam dam to Manimuthar dam by linking the reservoirs, the study was never started.

While the DMK government has not taken any credible step to retrieve the entire 2,600 acres of land acquired and handed over to the promoter of Nanguneri Multi-product Special Economic Zone and identify new investors to start their manufacturing units there to create thousands of jobs, the 4.30 GW photovoltaic cell and module manufacturing unit at Gangaikondan has ensured relatively decent jobs for the locals, especially girls with diploma or science degrees. This has consoled the job-seekers, who are otherwise going even beyond Mumbai for employment.

Another solace is the Tirunelveli West Bypass Road connecting Konganthanparai intersection on Tirunelveli – Kanniyakumari 4-lane National Highway and Thazhaiyoothu on Tirunelveli – Madurai Highway via Tharuvai, Suththamalli, Abhishekapatti and Rastha. While the first phase of this project to connect Konganthanparai and Suththamalli is almost complete, land acquisition for the remaining portion has been completed.

Moreover, the commissioning of ₹605 crore drinking water project for 831 hamlets in Radhapuram Assembly constituency being represented by Speaker M. Appavu is also a shot in arm for the ruling party.

The Government College of Arts and Science started near Maanur, the about to be completed ₹465 crore drinking water project for the habitations in seven town panchayats and a municipality in Nanguneri and Radhapuram segments and other welfare schemes implemented during this tenure may attract the voters towards the DMK while the Opposition, mainly the AIADMK and the BJP highlight the “failure” of taking up vital infrastructure projects in the district.