Hero Image

Next on the list: Kumbakonam, Pollachi to be districts

Chennai: The frequency with which larger districts are being bifurcated or trifurcated in the state for administrative convenience may have prompted speculations. But the Edappadi K Palaniswami government is keen on adding more to the list and may announce new districts with Kumbakonam and Pollachi as headquarters.



Kumbakonam and Pollachi will be carved out of Thanjavur and Coimbatore districts respectively. “The administration is working on proposals and it may be announced, perhaps in the next assembly session or on a big occasion ahead,” said an official source.

Coimbatore, despite its high degree of industrialisation and per capita income (PCI), did not figure in the top five districts with high human development index in the government’s 2017 ranking report, even as Virudhunagar, Tuticorin and Kancheepuram found place in the top slots, along with Kanyakumari and Chennai. The report said the high PCI does not necessarily translate into high human development indices, unless accompanied by investments made in education, health and other social sectors.

Former CM J Jayalalithaa made an attempt to turn Pollachi into a district, but elections played spoilsport. The subsequent DMK regime, in October 2008, carved out four taluks of Coimbatore (Tirupur, Udumalpet, Palladam, parts of Avinashi) and three taluks of Erode (Dharapuram, Kangeyam and parts of Perundurai) to form Tirupur district. The traders of Udumalpet downed the shutters as a sign of protest. If locals from Valparai take 100km to reach Coimbatore, Pollachi may come in handy given its proximity. Tenders have been floated for a six-lane highway to connect Pollachi and Tuticorin port via Kodai Road given the thriving coir industry.

Pollachi remains the vital connectivity to the neighbouring Kerala with railway lines being broad guage. “When Palakkad district in Kerala could emerge successful from a sub-taluk, why not we, an important connectivity for the states? Our region is dominant in agriculture and horticulture and a district tag could help,” TN deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman said. Resolving the long-pending dispute with Kerala over Anamalaiyar-Nallar scheme will help Pollachi.

Far off in Kumbakonam too, there is a clarion call for a district, as series of representations in the past proved futile. Kumbakonam forms part of Thanjavur district, the rice bowl, that stands at 19 in the HDI rank, in terms of standard of living, health and education.

The demand is that Thiruvidaimarudhur, Kumbakonam and Papanasam taluks could be made part of a district, besides upgrading Nachiarkoil and Thiruppanandal into taluks. “Unlike the newly created districts, Kumbakonam has every district headquarter facility of the government departments. We have a state transport corporation division at Kumbakonam and even income tax department has its office, but not a district collectorate,” Federation of Kumbakonam Traders Associations, secretary, V Satyanarayanan said. A critical agriculture belt in the region, it has variety to offer from pure silks of Kumbakonam, brass lamps of Nachiarkoil to bronze statues of Swamimalai.

READ ON APP