CHENNAI CORPORATION: Three mega zones in Greater Chennai

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Sept 9, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/three-mega-zones-in-greater-chennai/312136.html

CHENNAI: Chennai Corporation is expected to adopt the Greater Chennai police model for the administration of an expanded Chennai city which will sit on a sprawling 426-sq km area.

According to sources, the civic body’s 15 zones would be divided into three Mega Zones - North, Central and South - each consisting of five zones.  An Additional Commissioner or Joint Commissioner would be appointed as in-charge for each Mega Zone.The additional commissioners would have their offices in the respective Mega Zones and Ripon Building would remain the headquarters for the expanded city Corporation.

The Chennai Corporation Council on Thursday adopted a historic resolution that turned the 174 sq km Chennai city into a sprawling 426-sq km metropolis by annexing 42 adjacent local bodies. In a special urgent Council Meeting held at the Ripon Building, councillors cutting across party lines supported the proposal for better administration.According to the resolution, the new expanded Chennai Corporation would be having 200 wards with 15 zones.At present, it has 155 wards and 10 zones. A village panchayat, Edayanchavadi near Minjur, would be the new boundary for the Corporation on the northern side while Uthandi village panchayat on East Coast Road would be its boundary on the southern side.Besides, the Council also gave its nod to reorganise new polling booths for the newly carved out 200 wards.Though the previous DMK government in December 2009 had issued the notification to annex 42 local bodies to expand the city limits from the existing 174 sq km to 426 sq km, the proposal went to cold storage due to Assembly Elections.After the AIADMK returned to power in May, it also supported the expansion proposal and asked the Chennai Corporation to finalise the process before the local body elections.