VELLORE: The deafening sound of crackers burst in several places in Tirupathur and Ranipet as the local people spilled on to the streets to share their joy soon after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami made the announcement Thursday for creating two new districts by carving Vellore.
The joy found no bounds for the people in Tirupathur, located on the far end bordering Krishnagiri district, as they have been fighting hard for getting a district created with the town as its headquarters.
In fact, the demand was first raised in 1994. Decades have passed since then, but their dream is coming true now.
“Actually, we have been fighting for creating a new district with Tirupattur as the headquarters because people in this region are largely backward. Apart from this, Tirupathur has got all the required infrastructure and divisional offices of key government establishments including Revenue, Education, Electricity Board, Health and Forest,” TK Raja, former PMK MLA, told Express.
He recalled, “We first made the demand in 1994. Since then, we have been regularly raising the voice through various modes, including demonstrations. When I represented Tirupathur segment in the State Assembly two terms, I had raised the demand on several occasions.”
With a population of about 39 lakh, Vellore is one of the largest districts in Tamil Nadu. As many as 3 Lok Sabha constituencies and 13 Assembly segments are spread across the sprawling district which has 1 municipal corporation, 11 municipalities, 20 panchayat unions, 16 town panchayats and 753 village panchayats.
The Revenue organizational set up consists of three Revenue Divisions and 13 taluks.
Although the announcement of carving out a district with Tirupathur as its headquarters was on expected lines, the people in Ranipet region were surprised to hear the message.
The establishment of a new district here is going to help the local people, particularly the farmers, get a pie in the government’s schemes and easy access to the administration.
“No top officer visits the region as it is located far off from the headquarters now. The people do not have easy access to the authorities to represent their grievances. If the new district comes into being, it will benefit the farmers largely,” hopes ‘Palleri’ K Raja, Vellore East district president of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam.
Agriculture is the predominant occupation for the people in Ranipet region, besides employment opportunities in the industrial hub of SIPCOT.
Raja says new administrative set up will help bring in government’s developmental projects and welfare schemes to the benefit of the people.
If KV Kuppam, as per the announcement, is made a taluk, the numbers will rise to 14.
Vellore, Anaikattu, Katpadi, Gudiyatham and KV Kuppam taluks may be part of the existing Vellore district while Arakkonam, Nemili, Wallajah and Arcot will go in Ranipet district and Tirupathur, Ambur, Natrampalli, Vaniyambadi and Pernambut will be part of Tirupathur district, sources in the Revenue department said.