CHENNAI: With the Assembly election drawing closer, residents along the Old Mahabalipuram Road corridor engaged candidates from the Sholinganallur constituency on key civic concerns at a ‘Meet the Candidates’ event organised by the Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA) in Karapakkam on Saturday.
The four-hour interaction, held at Doshi Risington, featured DMK’s sitting MLA Aravind Ramesh, AIADMK candidate KP Kandan, TVK candidate ECRP Saravanamoorty, and NTK candidate Jayalakshmi Raman.
FOMRRA co-founder Harsha Koda said, “The initiative builds on similar town hall meetings conducted since 2019 for parliamentary, Assembly and local body elections. More than 250 Resident Welfare Associations submitted questions, which were curated for the session.”
Residents raised issues relating to piped water supply, underground sewer connections, traffic congestion, solid waste management and restoration of the Pallikaranai marshland. Concerns were also flagged over the National Green Tribunal norms restricting construction within one kilometre of the marsh.
DMK MLA Aravind Ramesh highlighted improvements in infrastructure over the past decade, stating that a majority of storm water drains have been completed and several civic projects implemented. “Water supply has improved after the commissioning of the Nemmeli desalination plant. Biomining operations at Perungudi are almost complete. Issues related to the Ramsar site buffer zone will be addressed,” he clarified.
AIADMK candidate KP Kandan said that key infrastructure foundations, including road networks, drainage systems and water supply, were laid during his earlier tenure. “The party will prioritise removal of encroachments on water bodies, restoration of the Pallikaranai marshland and round-the-clock water supply if voted to power,” he added.
NTK candidate Jayalakshmi Raman stressed that durable road infrastructure and protection of water bodies would be among her priorities. “Improved waste segregation is the need of the hour, and revenue generated from waste processing can be channelled towards public welfare. Steps will be taken to reduce the number of liquor outlets,” she stated.
TVK candidate ECRP Saravanamoorty said that the constituency continues to face gaps in basic infrastructure despite being home to a large taxpayer base. “Ensuring piped water supply will be a priority. A dedicated website can be developed for the constituency as a grievance redress platform,” he opined.