CHENNAI: After HRCE minister PK Sekar Babu was given additional charge as the chairman of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) by amending a government order, his role and powers entrusted with him have become more clear.
Last month, a GO, which was passed on September 28, 1983, was amended by substituting the expression ‘Minister-in-charge of urban development department’ with the expression ‘Minister-in-charge of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.’
While this could pave the way for smooth administration work such as the power to conduct CMDA meetings, sources said the minister’s power is restricted as he cannot take any policy decisions, including those pertaining to Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Tamil Nadu Real Estate regulatory Authority and Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority. Experts claim that there could be discoordination as the Housing and Urban Development department, under which town planning comes, has a minister who is in-charge of taking policy decisions.
“CMDA is merely an existing authority along with the newly announced bodies, as such which minister will be entrusted to take policy decisions pertaining to urban planning,” an expert, on condition of anonymity. Similarly, there could be no appeal against the decision taken during the authority meeting as the minister himself is the chairman of the body.
Apart from it, the policy GOs would be signed by the housing minister only, he added. However, Association of Professional Town Planners (APTP) president K M Sadanand said the decision of making Sekar Babu as chairman is being taken in the best interest of Chennai as he knows the city better than housing minister S Muthusamy. “He can directly take up the issues to the Chief Minister. Things between both the ministers could be sorted easily,” he added.