Changing face of Chennai!

The metropolis Chennai is moving quietly into cosmopolitan eminence. The transformation is quickened with the chosen accredited visionary, Chief Minister Kalaignar M.Karunanidhi’s dynamic guidance and with equally futuristic Deputy Chief Minister Thiru Stalin’s bubbling enthusiasm and drive. By 2010 we can see the changed face of Chennai.

The Chennai highways are now wide and devoid of encroachments. The traffic bottlenecks and congestion are being cleared promptly and permanently. Periodic changes in traffic regulations are planned meticulously. Old and obsolete transport buses are replaced with state of the art vehicles making travel easy and comfortable. The grade separators at Kathipara, Koyambedu and Padi junctions, a flyover near the Chennai Airport and an underpass connecting Trisoolam Railway station are bonanza to Chennaites. The National Highways Authority of India’s widening of bypass roads and their approaches facilitated traffic flow from Irumbuliyur to different directions including Maduravoyal and Madhavaram.

Chennai city, with the ever-smiling Mayor Thiru Subramaniam’s commitment and the willing co-operation of the Chennai Corporation administration, is changing into Singara Chennai dreamt of by the Deputy Chief Minister Thiru Stalin. The fast changing landscape of Chennai substantiates it. Apart from the Egmore and Central railway stations and the Meenambakkam airport, the other main entry point to the city is the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT). It is a modern state of the art bus terminus located in Chennai catering to outstation buses. Spread over an area of 37 acres in Koyambedu this is the largest bus terminus in Asia and accredited with ISO 9001:2000 quality certification for its quality management and excellence and is situated right on the 100 feet Inner Ring Road (Jawaharlal Nehru Road) in Koyambedu between SAF Games Village and the Koyambedu Vegetable Market, another landmark of Chennai. CMBT is the brainchild of the then 4th time Chief Minister Kalaignar. This terminus was conceived, conceptualized and the foundation stone laid by Kalaignar (1996-2001) and constructed at a cost of Rs.103 crore under his personal close monitoring. However, it so happened that this grandiose edifice had to be inaugurated during the ADMK regime on 18.11.2002.

This magnificent Bus Stand simultaneously station 270 buses and handles over 2000 buses and two lakh passengers daily. This structural marvel provides 18,000 sq.ft waiting facility for passengers, a 25,000 sq.ft parking space for auto-rickshaws, cabs, private cars and 16.000 sq.ft parking area for two-wheelers. State of the art facilities are provided for passenger comforts. They include shops, restaurants all around inside the terminus, super-markets, ATMs, AC/ non-AC rooms for rent, toilets, round the clock security, pure drinking water free of cost facilitated by reverse osmosis treatment plant, a 24 hour pharmacy, first-aid facilities and medical assistance. Wheel-chairs are also provided for the physically disabled. Though the foundation stone depicts that this was opened during the ADMK rule, it is in fact, a life-time gift of the DMK to the citizens of Chennai.

Same is the case of Valluvar Kottam, the standing memorial to immortalize the genius Tamil philosopher Tiruvalluvar in Chennai. It is shaped like a temple chariot and is, in fact, the replica of the temple chariot in Tiruvarur. A life size statue of the sage is installed in the chariot which is 33 m. tall. The 133 chapters of his masterpiece Tirukural have been depicted in bas-relief in the front hall corridors of the chariot. The auditorium at Valluvar Kottam is said to be the largest in Asia and can accommodate 4,000 people. Here also the Valluvar Kottam complex was the dream project of Kalaignar as Chief Minister – the plan, pattern, blue print and proposal were his own imagination springing up from his insight and inspiration. The dream came true but Kalaignar was not available to inaugurate this monumental masterpiece. The declaration of Emergency came in its way. The rest is part of Indian political history.

The Cooum and Adyar rivers are in their present condition eyesores in the otherwise nice city of Chennai. Cooum was once a clean river on the banks of which the Chennaites like the philanthropist Pachiyappa Mudaliar and Saint Ramalinga Vallalar usually had their morning bath. Efforts were taken to clean the river by the DMK government even during the days of Anna. However, our energetic Deputy Chief Minister Thiru Stalin now took this prestigious venture on hand. Cooum runs for 18 kms in Chennai alone. The process of removing the huts and other impediments had almost been completed. His earnest efforts with active involvement of the Singapore government will result in making Cooum a navigable rivulet providing an aesthetic atmosphere.

Whereas Cooum had already had its share of beautification, Chief Minister Kalaignar inaugurated the foundation works for the Rs.100 crore Adyar Eco Park in August 2007. The government took up the ecological restoration of the Adyar creek with inputs from conservationists based in Aurovile near Puducherry. This eco-park set to become a landmark in the city would be completed by the end of 2010. Apart from reeds and mangroves, the park has about 216 plant species; 85,000 saplings are in different stages of planting. Five wooden bridges are being constructed at different places. A storm water retention zone is also planned. Work on walkways, benches and pavilion are in different levels of execution. The culverts below Santhome Cuaseway to allow passage of water in and out of the creek had been enlarged. A pedestrian overpass is also proposed over the Santhome High Road connecting the Poonga-side to the walkways along the edges of the Quibble Island and estuary. The development cost is about Rs.100 crore. On completion this will present the look of a children’s fairyland. This is yet another landmark in the city’s landscape.

The Ambedkar Manimandapam, the foundation stone for which was laid during the ADMK regime in April 1993 was getting delayed for some reason or other. After the advent of the DMK rule in 1996, it took serious steps to remove the legal hurdles and sought clearance from the High Court to construct the Manimandapam. The memorial built on an area of 1.5 acres on Greenways Road, R.A.Puram Chennai was declared open by the then Chief Minister Kalaignar on 10th June 2000. It is proof enough to appreciate that DMK treats all the leaders equally cutting across party affiliations in creating memorials for them.

The Rs.165 crore Anna Centenary library, coming up at Kotturpuram in the city is set to become a treasure trove for book lovers and research scholars. The eight storied complex which is scheduled to be completed by April 2010 will house about 12 lakh books, e-journals, e-books on all and sundry subjects.

Chief Minister Kalaignar has opened the new look Marina formally to public. The City Corporation completed the Marina beautification project at a cost of Rs.25.92 crore. The three-km stretch between Napier bridge and the lighthouse had been beautified, complete with promenade, lawns, galleries for people to relax, a four metre wide footpath near service lane, another five-metre wide footpath tiled with non-slippery granite slabs, stain-less steel rings, lamps shaped in the form of seagulls and a water fountain near the Gandhi statue. The elevated promenade provides the perfect setting for the visitors to enjoy their walks by the beach or simply sit at a convenient spot and watch the waves. There is enough place for children, too, to walk around and play. Two toilets have been created for public use. What is most heartening for those who drive in is that there is adequate parking space for light and heavy vehicles. In order to spread out thousands of visitors who are expected to come everyday over a length of 3.1 km from the Labour Statue point to the Lighthouse area, 14 galleries had been constructed. As part of the beautification process, the government had banned the use of plastics on and around the beach. Already Marina Beach in Chennai is ranked as second long beautiful beach in the world next only to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, South America. Now that the DMK government under the matchless stewardship of Kalaignar accomplished its beautification, it shots into fame and qualifies for the global first place.

At Puzhal village on the outskirts of Chennai there is a landscaped frontage of the huge complex resembling that of a luxury hotel. This is no hotel nor office complex. This is the ‘Asia’s largest modern Puzhal prison complex, a bold bid by the Tamil Nadu government to redefine the very concept of jail. The concept of sending a person who committed an offence or crime to a jail as a punitive measure is to provide him an opportunity to repent for his offence and to reform himself; hence a jail is also called a penitentiary or a reformatory. Tamil Nadu government exactly does this very effectively. Bold, because every idea conceived for an ideal prison, but remained on paper, has been translated into reality in this Rs.75 crore Puzhal prison project. It has a quarantine to segregate new entrants till medical examination is completed, cells and dormitories with windows, lavatories with doors, meditation hall, library, amphitheatre, auditorium, jail-court with video-conferencing facility, mechanized kitchens, high security blocks with exclusive kitchen and hospital, gym, canteen, public music system, rehabilitation block and separate gallows for men and women prisoners. This complex set up on a 212 acre site would house 1250 remand prisoners, 1250 convict prisoners and 500 women prisoners. This is a model prison for other states to follow.

The DMK government is now constructing the New Assembly Secretariat Complex in Chennai. The site is very close to the Fort St.George which had been the seat of power from the days of the British. This new Secretariat complex will be a memorable landmark in the history of Chennai for centuries to come.

It was a ‘dream come true’ for Chennai and Tamil Nadu, when the country’s first permanent Trade Fair Complex in the public sector outside New Delhi was inaugurated by the Chief Minister Kalaignar in Nandambakkam on the outskirts of Chennai city. This is yet another feather on the cap of the DMK government.

The DMK government with its ambitious road programmes with the financial assistance of the Union government had been constructing a number of Elevated roads, Highways, Ring roads, Flyovers in the State as well as in Chennai city which helps to transform the transport sector, give a boost to industries and integrate the economy.

During the DMK rule between 1996 and 2001 the government constructed 9 flyovers estimated to cost Rs.95 crore but the actual amount spent was only Rs.65 crore thus saving a huge sum of Rs.30 crore. It is a fact to be noted here that after construction of Anna Flyover on Anna Salai in Chennai in 1973, no such huge infra-structure was built during the ADMK regime. During the past four years the government constructed numerous grade separators, pedestrian overbridges, flyovers and subways in Chennai alone.

In respect of parks, the Thiru.Vi.Ka. park a land mark in Shenoy Nagar was renovated at a cost of Rs.1.52 crore providing lights, fountains, stone benches and children play equipments. Also an amazing number of 450 roadside parks and 180 traffic island parks had been developed in Chennai city alone.

Chennai as a town came into existence only about 400 years ago. It had carved a niche in the history during the British period. Chennai had a prime place in the history of the Dravidian movement and Independence struggle. The present four years’ rule of the DMK government and the fast changing face of Chennai projected it as a vitally important live centre under all parameters in all domains.

The invisible moving spirit behind all these laudable developments in a short span of four years were the constant monitoring of the ever alert Chief Minister Kalaignar, direct involvement of the Deputy Chief Minister, the deep insight of the Ministers and the ministerial staff, officials at all operating levels, their cooperation and co-ordination and inter-personal relationship. This is the secret of the success story of the DMK government.  

(20-12-09)