TN govt upgrades Sriperumbudur, Mamallapuram and Thiruvaiyaru to municipalities
As the government orders to upgrade the three town panchayats are released, a final notification will be issued to make the upgrade official after demarcating the boundaries of wards.
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CHENNAI: The state municipal administration and water supply department (MAWS) has issued orders allowing the upgrading of Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district and Mahabalipuram in Chengalpattu district as second-grade municipalities from the present status of town panchayats.
Along with Mahabalipuram and Sriperumbudur, Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district has also been upgraded to a second-grade municipality.
As per the order dated August 12, department minister KN Nehru made an announcement in the 2023-2024 budget session to upgrade the town panchayats as municipalities. Based on the announcement, collectors of the respective districts directed the councils of Mahabalipuram, Sriperumbudur and Thiruvaiyaru to pass resolutions permitting the upgradation.
Even though the norms allow the upgradation of town panchayats as municipalities only if the local bodies have a population of more than 30,000, which neither of the three local bodies could fulfill, they are generating an annual income of more than Rs 50 lakh.
The order said that several industries are around Sriperumbudur town panchayat and if additional infrastructure is provided, the town will grow further. In the cases of Mahabalipuram and Thiruvaiyaru, the department justified the upgradation by pointing out tourist attractions (Mahabalipuram) and the presence of the Thiyagarajar temple (Thiruvaiyaru).
As the government orders to upgrade the three town panchayats are released, a final notification will be issued to make the upgrade official after demarcating the boundaries of wards.
As of now, the state has 138 municipalities of various grades. Municipalities with an annual average revenue of less than Rs 6 crore are second-grade municipalities and municipalities with Rs 6 crore to Rs 9 crore revenue are first-grade municipalities. On the other hand, municipalities with a revenue of Rs 9 crore to Rs 15 crore are selection-grade municipalities. Municipalities with more than Rs 15 crore in annual revenue are special-grade municipalities.