NAGAPATTINAM: Residents of Mayiladuthurai revenue division are seeking immediate formation of a district named after the town after Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday announced that the matter was under consideration of the government.
Palaniswami made the announcement during the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the medical college in Nagapattinam on Saturday.
The chief minister’s announcement - the first-ever hint that the demand was being considered — provided solace to the residents of Mayiladuthurai revenue division.
However, they would have preferred the chief minister’s announcement to be more definite. “The announcement is not completely satisfactory. We want the government to make the official announcement during the Assembly session in the coming week.
"Only then would the dream of Mayiladuthurai people who had been demanding a district for the past 20 years be fulfilled,” said R Seyon, president, Mayuram Bar Association.
Posts and comments are already flooding Mayiladuthurai-centric Facebook pages and groups, Instagram and Twitter accounts and YouTube demanding an official declaration.
“Some places where people were not even seeking the status have been made districts, but it is being made difficult for Mayiladuthurai. We do not want just consideration but an official declaration,” said Jega Veera Pandiyan, leader of General Labour Organisation in Mayiladuthurai.
Mayiladuthurai and its surrounding taluks in the revenue division had seen shutdowns, transport and hunger strikes and other forms of protest in the past one year. During this period, Tenkasi, Kallakurichi, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Chengalpattu were announced as districts. C Senthilvelu, president, Mayiladuthirai Chamber of Commerce, said, “We welcome the chief minister’s announcement but we hope the government makes it official as soon as possible as it has made news headlines. It is the dream of the public, farmers, traders and people from various walks of life for the past 20 years.
Farmers also want the speedy formation of the district.
“We had to wait for a few words by a chief minister of Tamil Nadu for 30 years since Nagapattinam district was formed. Mayiladuthurai also deserves to be made a district. We thank elected representatives for their efforts, but we want the announcement to be made official by the chief minister in the Assembly session itself,” said Arupathi P Kalyanam, a farmer.