The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Problems aplenty, voters angry with vote seekers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 24, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Problems aplenty, voters angry with vote seekers

By K. Subramanian

Candidates contesting the Chengalpattu Lok Sabha seat are facing the wrath of the electorate, especially in rural areas where people are agitated over poor link roads, lack of facilities at primary health centres and protected drinking water supply, overexploitation of ground water and illegal sand quarrying. The unabated flow of illicit liquor also a key issue.

The constituency,in Kancheepuram district, is witnessing a keen contest between A.K. Moorthy of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, former Minister of State for Railways (who defeated S.S. Thirunavukkarasu of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1999), and K.N. Ramachandran of the AIADMK, a new face. Both are Vanniyars, who together with Adi Dravidars account for nearly 75 per cent of the population. These communities are followed by Mudaliyars, Chettiars and others. The total number of electorate is 11,64,906 (men 5,69,146 and women 5,95,760).

Since 1977, the Chengalpattu Lok Sabha seat has been captured five times by the AIADMK, once each by the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the PMK.

Out of the six Assembly segments in the constituency, the AIADMK in 2001 won Kancheepuram, Madurantakam, Uthiramerur and Tiruporur (Reserved) and the PMK, Acharapakkam (Reserved) and Chengalpattu. In a 2002 byelection in Acharapakkam, caused by the death of A. Selvaraj of the PMK, the AIADMK wrested the seat.

Now, Mr. Moorthy (40) highlights his achievements including the opening of a number of computerised reservation centres and laying of a new broad gauge line between Chengalpattu and Tambaram during his 18-month tenure as Minister of State for Railways.

Mr. Ramachandran (48), a staunch AIADMK man from the days of M.G. Ramachandran, is banking on the government's performance and the Rajnikant factor. He held several party positions and is now president of the Unaided Non-Minority Engineering Colleges Association.

The constituency is plagued by numerous problems. Farmers are worried how they will raise crops including paddy and sugarcane for want of water in irrigation tanks and wells, thanks to depletion of groundwater. Illegal sand quarrying and overexploitation of groundwater from the Palar basin and also near the huge irrigation tanks in the Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Uthiramerur and Madurantakam Assembly segments resulted in depletion of ground water,affecting agricultural operations for the past few years. Nearly 2,000 tanker lorries are ferrying drinking water to Chennai from the Palur area near Kancheepuram daily.

Last year, there was a shortfall of 35,000 hectares under paddy against the normal area of 1.61 lakh hectares in Kancheepuram district.

Nearly one lakh silk and cotton weavers, concentrated in the Kancheepuram Assembly segment, are without regular work mainly because of recession coupled with stiff competition from the mill sector.

The menace of illicit arrack affects the poor people. Unemployment is haunting the youth, though there are some automobile and industrial units.

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