Vellore
Erstwhile North Arcot district was bifurcated into Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts in 1989 for administrative convenience as Tiruvannamalai was 85 kms away. Residents of places near Thanipadi and Thandarampattu were then more than 110 kms from Vellore.
PMK was the only party which demanded trifurcation and hence happy.
“We wonder at the rationale behind a new district with Ranipet as headquarters when it is only 28 kms from Vellore. Tirupattur on the other hand is 85 kms from Vellore and needed to be made into a separate district,” said a senior party functionary seeking anonymity.
Vellore DMK MLA P Karthikeyan, when asked said, “The proposed trifurcation shows a total lack of application of mind by the present government. Kalaignar bifurcated North Arcot as the district was huge. But, now trifurcation will mean 2 more Collectors, 2 more SPs and new infrastructure including housing for top officials. The government has acted to please somebody,” he added. A top revenue official said, “Trifurcation will mean huge expense as new medical colleges have to be created at the new districts in keeping with the state government policy to create this facility in all district headquarters. Similarly, taluk hospitals which are to be upgraded to district hospitals in the proposed districts lack necessary infrastructure.”
However, party workers in AIADMK circles were happy that the trifurcation would curtail Vellore west district secretary and Commercial Taxes Minister KC Veeramani’s power. Now he will be only Tirupattur district secretary and his writ will run only in 4 taluks.
“New district secretary will have to be created for Vellore district as east district secretary and Arakonam MLA S Ravi will automatically become Ranipet district secretary,” said a cadre K Manikandan.
Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate Deepalakshmi said “Only the DMK raised the bifurcation issue in the Assembly while the AIADMK Ministers kept mum. That the party is doing this after their recent Lok Sabha defeat smacks of an attempt to bring in the BJP.
Administrative convenience is only an excuse given by the government. We will have to wait and see for their real motive to come out.”
Meanwhile, official circles are agog as to who would become special officers for the proposed districts and who will create basic facilities priorto the new districts becominga reality.
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