CM Jayalalitha Rechristened Chennai Corporation

New status expected to open fund tap of international bodies for development of the smart city project.

CHENNAI: Chennai Corporation, the second oldest municipal corporation in the world, has been rechristened as Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. She unveiled a plaque, through  video conferencing, at the Secretariat in the presence of Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani and Mayor D Duraisamy. On Saturday, the Chennai Corporation adopted a resolution thanking the Chief Minister for declaring it as Greater Chennai Corporation.

Official sources said by declaring Chennai as Greater Chennai Corporation, it could get monetary assistance from international bodies for all developmental activities. The Central government has also chosen Chennai for the Smart city project indicating that special allocations would be made for GCC. Already, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad had this ‘greater’ tag with them and Chennai is the fourth city to have that honour.

The Chennai Corporation was formed on September 29, 1968 and is the second oldest municipal corporation. As far as population is concerned, Chennai is fourth in the country and 31st in the world. Next to Delhi and Mumbai, people from other States live in large numbers in Chennai. As per the 1968-69 census, the population of Chennai stood at around 25 lakh and it rose to over 70 lakh in 2011 census. In Chennai corporation, there were 14 Assembly segments and three Lok Sabha constituencies. After merger of 42 local bodies, GCC has 24 Assembly constituencies and six Parliamentary constituencies.

The Chennai Corporation had earlier adopted a resolution urging the State government to declare it as Greater Chennai Corporation and it was accepted by the government. Recently, the Chennai city police had been rechristened as Greater Chennai Police.

Chennai Corporation was functioning with 10 zones, 155 wards and 174 sq.km area. After the merger of 42 local bodies in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts, the GCC area had gone upto 426 sq.km. Over the years, the City has developed in trade, commerce and industry. Chennai City is the biggest industrial and commercial centre of South India. There are about 15,000 industries and factories licensed in Chennai. The G.O for declaring Chennai as Greater Chennai Corporation was issued on October 26, 2015.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, on January 29, also inaugurated 31 Amma canteens set up at a cost of Rs 8.25 crore in Tiruvotriyur, Tiru.Vi.Ka Nagar, Royapuram, Ambattur, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Sholinganallur and Tondiarpet, a bridge on JJ Nagar-Padikuppam Road, parking lot for lorries set up at Manali, kitchen utensils for all community halls of the Greater Chennai Corporation bought at Rs 1.51 crore, three community halls established at a cost of Rs 6.61 crore, nine anganwadi centres, nine parks, multi-purpose halls, bus stand and office buildings, etc., all built at a total cost of Rs 36.26 crore.

She also declared open drinking water improvement schemes in Karaikudi, Dharapuram, Vandavasi and Tiruchengode municipalities at a total cost of Rs 51.80 crore and inaugurated many new facilities and buildings for Municipal Administration department in various districts.

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