Although holding of Local body elections in the month of October was on the cards, the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission, which has to conduct free and fair elections by the statute, kept the election schedule close to the chest, leaving all political parties and aspirant – citizens who wished to partake in civic elections, on tenterhooks. Finally it was reported that the State Election Commissioner Mr. Aiyar, who is perceived to be too close to the ruling party, rather to the ‘ruling sisters’ – one de facto and another de jure – will be announcing the election schedule on September 19 in a Press meet. Accordingly a battery of reporters of the print and electronic media, photographers and TV camera crew laid in attendance at the office of the SEC in Chennai from the morning. At last by 8.30 PM the CEC announced the election schedule and to many clarifications sought by reporters his answers were not concrete and were asked to go through the bulletin circulated among them. Asked for classifications of constituencies into reserved for SCs, women and general, he could only say that it was not his job and told the reporters that the details would be displayed at the places where nominations forms were issued. But it was complained that at many such places, people were told that they had not yet received the communication from the SEC or government.
Such were the tardy arrangements for elections involving – 10 corporations, 98 municipalities, 561 town panchayats, 50 grade 3 municipalities, 29 district panchayats, 385 panchayat unions, 12,618 panchayats wards, revealing the indifference or apathy of the ADMK regime in ushering in a truly democratic local administration and conducting free and fair elections for the civic bodies.
However even while all other political parties including the allies of the ADMK were in catch-22 position not knowing the classification of the constituencies, the ruling party was releasing its lists of candidates for all posts, even before the SEC announced the election schedule. Adding to the agony of other parties the SEC announced that the filing of nominations would begin the next day, barely overnight after. These very acts of the ADMK and the SEC were testimony for their collusion for giving advantage to the ruling party at the very starting point of the poll process.
Next came the rude shock for the alliance parties of the ADMK, which all vied with each other and with the ruling party ministers and members, in exhibiting their loyalty to Jayalalitha by showering encomiums on her and playing second fiddle to the Treasury Benches in putting down DMK’s voice in the Assembly. While the largest ally actor Vijayakant’s DMDK was snubbed with no invitation for negotiations with the ADMK’s committee, the CPM and CPI were left high and dry, after prolonged negotiations for hours and days, ultimately shown a crumb with the curt command ‘take it or leave it’. Saving the remains of self-respect, the three political foundlings have come together to ‘face’ the people.
With the active help of two strong allies – the SEC and Police department and an ally extending support – from outside and the Media, the ADMK believes it could manipulate the polls and capture all seats in local bodies. The high stakes reported to be placed by aspirants for ADMK tickets make clear the intentions of the ADMK contestants and the leadership – allowing them to reap back the benefit make hay while the sun shines. ADMK leadership letting its lower level functionaries to loot public money at grass root levels and perhaps remit the ‘levy’ to the high command. That is why the race in the ADMK for contesting the local body elections was getting intensified with the functionaries and cadre revolting, protesting and even committing suicide. There were also agitations and protests in front of Jayalalitha’s Poes Garden residence. There were complaints of candidates from outside the constituencies fielded and persons who are not at all members of the party getting chances. Sources in the party have reported to newspapers that with Sasikala dominating the process of elections, old-timers and those considered more loyal to Jayalalitha feel left out. “Many of the district secretaries are loyal to Sasikala and her family members” said a senior ADMK minister to TOI. So, the ADMK tickets for contesting local body polls are traded. People can very well imagine what would happen to the local bodies if these ‘bidders in auction’ were elected to administration? It is a well known secret that ADMK organization is more a trading private limited company, with Jaya as chair’man’ and Sasi as Managing Director and members of Mannargudi mafia, as directors.
Right from the inception the ADMK is a highly mono-centric party founded around the glamour of an individual MGR, and later succeeded by the highly megalomaniac Jayalalitha. At least MGR, supremely confident of his unassailable appeal on his cadre, permitted to some extent evolution of local-level influential functionaries and left some autonomy for them to directly deal with public issues and derive an element of popularity at the local level. But under the regimentation of Jayalalitha, who cannot tolerate growth of popularity of any of her nominated functionaries out of pathological fear of challenge to her authority, the local-level functionaries and cadre of the ADMK cannot independently function and discharge their duty to the electorate-public, if at all they were elected by the people to the Assembly and more so to local bodies. That explains the dysfunction of ADMK MPs, MLAs and local body representatives and also the impermanency of ADMK functionaries at all levels and ministers when the party is in power. The moment their party supremo suspects anyone of any independent initiative and gaining influence, the person would be removed.
Hence, every vote to an ADMK candidate in any election is a wastage of people’s right to vote. People who had already wasted their votes in the Assembly elections, will not and should not repeat the mistake.
The above explained psyche of ADMK leadership was also the reason for both MGR and Jayalalitha abhorring conduct of local body elections whenever they were in power until it became mandatory with the enactment of Panchayat Raj Act in 1993. MGR ascended to power in 1977 and did not conduct local body elections till 1986, when DMK won majority of civic bodies. Even then Chennai Corporation elections were not held. Stung by the 1986 verdict, Jayalalitha did not dare to hold civic polls during her first tenure in 1991-96, despite landslide victory in Assembly election in 1991 on sympathy wave following assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
On the contrary, the DMK founded by the great democrat Arignar Anna, encouraged and nurtured leadership at all levels and the first ever elected people’s representative as DMK chairman of Tiruvannamalai Municipality was late P.U.Shanmugam at the age of 22, in 1953. Later the DMK also captured Chennai corporation in the 1959 elections after the party decided to enter electoral fray at the conference in Tiruchi in early 1957 and the first DMK mayor was A.P.Arasu. So elections to local bodies and DMK cadre serving people at the local level in civic issues are part and parcel of the history and growth of the DMK – mainly because it is a democratic party organization.
True to this spirit, Kalaignar conducted local body elections in 1996 after the DMK was voted to power in May that year, after a gap of 10 years and to Chennai Corporation after 25 years.
Kalaignar said if government administration is compared to a banyan tree, its roots and aerial roots are local bodies; if the former is compared to a human body, then the latter are its vein and life beats.
Such being the importance of these bodies, they were kept dysfunctional for over 10 years in-between and only after the DMK resumed power in 1996, elections were announced and conducted giving opportunity to 1,16,747 representatives of the people to share administrative responsibilities. The DMK government also provided opportunity for 44,143 women to assume office in local bodies by reserving 33 per cent seats for them and thus scored a remarkable achievement.
These bodies were given necessary rights and assistance, the gap between the government machinery and the people was narrowed and brought closer and helped in all possible ways for the honest functioning of them without deviating from norms. The State government fully shared with the local bodies financial and other rights in order to make them autonomous in their functioning and categorised the responsibilities of those bodies in various stages. In order to encourage people’s participation in democratic setup, ‘gram sabhas’ were strengthened. To facilitate immediate implementation of schemes without any delay, the financial limits of local bodies for giving administrative sanction were raised, from Rs.7.50 lakh to Rs.50 lakh for the Chennai Corporation and from Rs.2 lakh to Rs.25 lakh for other corporations and from Rs,10,000 to Rs.10 lakh for municipalities. For the first time, the local bodies were given a share of eight per cent of all tax revenues except Entertainment Tax from 1997-98, resulting in an increase from Rs.512.57 crore in 1997-98 Rs.1032.42 crore in DMK rule.
The panchayats were given the power to collect advertisement tax and cable fee to increase their funds. Their financial resources were enhanced by fully sharing local cess, surcharge on local cess, tax on minor minerals, tax on stamp papers and entertainment tax and thereby increasing the financial resources of the local bodies.
On behalf of the Rural Development department, 9,36,700 works were completed which included 1,14,141 works like collective houses(group houses), minor bridges etc., pending during the previous ADMK regime and new works were undertaken from 1996 to 2001. While the previous ADMK government constructed from 1991 to 1996, 1,20,700 free collective houses for Adi-Dravidars, in five years of the DMK government since 1996 constructed and distributed 2,96,131 houses at a cost of Rs.631.06 crore. The grant for laying concrete roads for these houses was also raised from Rs.7,000 to Rs.12,000.
It was under the DMK rule that buildings for 737 high/higher secondary schools of local bodies at a cost of Rs.29.49 crore, buildings for elementary schools at a cost of Rs,133.15 crore and new buildings for 6,652 fair price shops (Rs.106.43 crore) and for 1,406 nutritious meal centres (Rs.18.28 crore) were constructed.
It was during that period that in order to get rid of the cruel practice of night soil carrying 665 dry latrines (including 417 in all town panchayats and 238 in municipal and corporation areas) were converted into modern latrines at a cost of Rs.10.73 crore. Now there are no dry latrines in any municipality and corporation areas. As a measure of getting rid of caste and communal acrimony, 145 Periyar Memorial Samathuvapurams were planned of which so far 144 were opened.
It was under the DMK rule that yet another significant scheme, Anna Marumalarchi Thittam was launched and 74,810 works at a cost of Rs.692 crore were completed (Thereafter in 2006, the scheme was extended in the name of All village Anna Marumalarchi Thittam). In that period 18,590 works at a cost of Rs.147. 74 crore were completed under ‘ Namakku Naame Thittam’. The share of people to the tune of Rs.51.42 crore was obtained under the norm that the public should contribute a part of the expenses for works under the scheme, in cash or labour. But during the subsequent ADMK regime all such noble schemes were given up. It was under the DMK rule that for the first time 30,505 works were undertaken and completed at a cost of Rs.414.94 crore in all the 234 Assembly constituencies under the MLA Constituency Development scheme.
The Community Workers scheme which was in vogue during the 1989-91 DMK rule was given up by the ADMK regime on 13.7.1991 and they were reinstated on the DMK returning to power in 1996. Once again Jayalalitha on assuming office in 2001, retrenched these workers and they were reinstated again when Kalaignar for the fifth time, assumed Chief Ministership. Their services were utilized in spreading adult education, anti-alcohol campaign, maintenance of street lights and in looking after nutritious meal centres. It was during that period that about 20,990 km long rural roads were converted into tar roads, an unprecedented work and 2000 km long rural streets were made concrete roads.
In 1971, under the DMK rule, an exclusive board, ‘Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board’ was set up to ensure supply of protected drinking water. In 1995-96, the ADMK government allotted only Rs.213.82 crore whereas in 2000-2001 the DMK government allotted Rs.842 crore for the works of this Board showing the interest of DMK rule in providing drinking water to the people.
The number of overhead tanks constructed upto 1996 since getting independence was 17,051, but within five years since 1996, the DMK government set up 24,793 overhead tanks. So also as against Rs.69.93 crore earmarked for rural drinking water schemes in 1995-96 by the ADMK regime, the DMK government in 2000-01 allotted Rs.500 crore and undertook lot of works. Totally the ADMK government from 1992-93 to 1995-96 allotted Rs.307.43 crore for such schemes; while the DMK government allotted Rs.1503.79 crore from 1996-97 to 2000-01.
All these activities at the grass root level of administration with democratic participation were freezed by the subsequent ADMK regime which provided ad hoc measures and turned local bodies into nominal entities.
After the 2006 Local body elections, the then Local Administration Minister Thiru M.K.Stalin organized a state-level conference of Chairperson of District Panchayats and Panchayat Unions besides urban local bodies in Chennai in the presence of CM on 18.3.2007. A total of 27 district panchayat chairpersons, 363 panchayat union chairpersons besides heads of urban local bodies participated. Various issues pertaining to effective functioning of local bodies were deliberated upon and discussions held at the meet.
Despite 12,618 village panchayats in TN, recognizing the fact that village panchayats represented the tier that performs some of the most important functions, Stalin convened regional conference of village panchayat presidents at Erode (24.7.2007), Tiruchirapalli (25.7.2007), Tiruvannamalai (3.8.2007) and Virudhunagar (23.8.2007) to ascertain their views on devolution and difficulties in their functioning. 11,984 village panchayats presidents out of a total of 12,618 presidents in TN participated in these regional conferences and made 47,108 recommendations. These recommendations were condensed into 99 under 39 subjects and orders were issued for implementation. Thus Stalin with a sense of commitment, took series of steps with the intention of empowering grass-root level bodies.
A history was in the making of local bodies – from municipal corporations to village panchayats – in TN during DMK rule, which is destined to become a role model to emulate by the rest of the country.
For the comparison of local bodies led by the DMK and ADMK, Chennai Corporation is the best example. As the first elected Mayor Thiru M.K.Stalin during 1996-2001, he not only fulfilled the needs and aspirations of 25 years of the people when there was no elected civic body, but also went far ahead changing the very face of the city, that he was called ‘the Darling of Chennaiites’ by the media. He was reelected as Mayor the people only to be nullified by the Jaya regime, after which the corporation remained rudder-less and non-functional for five years. But in 2006, as Stalin’s successor Thiru M.Subramanian as Mayor carried out his work with the same zeal and took the city to new heights in every respect and won several national awards.
To augment the financial resources of Local Bodies, the DMK Government gradually enhanced the quantum of devolution grants to local bodies from State’s Own Tax Revenue. It was 8 percent during 2005-2006 and increased gradually to 10 percent during 2010-2011. Accordingly, a sum of Rs.7,788 crore was released to the rural local bodies from 2006-2007. A sum of Rs.2,079 crore was provided for this purpose in this Interim Budget.
Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam was implemented since 2006-2007 to improve basic amenities in all the village panchayats at a cost of Rs.2,549 crore. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme being implemented with the Central assistance created work for 66.48 crore man-days with a disbursement of Rs.5,237 crore as wages in the last 5 years. To promote social justice, the DMK Government established Periyar Ninaivu Samathuvapurams. From the year 2008-2009, works for 95 Samathuvapurams were taken up. Under “Members of Legislative Assembly Constituency Development Scheme”, a sum of Rs.411 crore was allocated during 2011-2012.
A sum of Rs.10,139 crore was incurred by ADMK government from 2001-2002 to 2005-2006 for Rural Development. But, the DMK Government provided an amount of Rs.27,353 crore in the five year period commencing from 2006-2007. A sum of Rs.8,812 crore was provided during 2011-2012 for rural development.
The Ramanathapuram Combined Drinking Water scheme completed at a cost of Rs.616 crore to benefit 15.75 lakh people living in Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Pudukottai districts and the Hogenakkal combined water supply scheme which was under implementation at a cost of Rs.1,929 crore to supply safe drinking water to the whole of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, were the major achievements of the DMK Government. In the Interim Budget Rs.400 crore was allocated for the Hogenakkal combined water supply scheme.
During the DMK Government’s tenure 34,212 rural habitations were provided with safe drinking water through the individual power pump scheme. Apart from this, 199 combined drinking water supply schemes were completed at an outlay of Rs.1,727 crore benefiting 16 municipalities, 85 town panchayats and 13,030 rural habitations. During financial year 2010-11, 8 combined drinking water supply schemes at a cost of Rs.3,277 crore were implemented, which will benefit 73.28 lakh people living in the districts of Madurai, Coimbatore, Virudhunagar, Nagapattinam, Vellore and Salem.
Over the past five years Rs.6,822 crore was provided to urban local bodies by way of devolution grant as recommended by the State Finance Commission. In 2011-2012 Interim Budget Rs.2,198 crore was allocated for providing these devolution grants.
Under the Anaithu Peruratchi Anna Marumalarchi Thittam, over the past three years works amounting to Rs.236 crore were carried out in 420 town panchayats. During 2010-11, works at an estimated cost of Rs.88 crore are being executed in the remaining 139 town panchayats. As a result of this, basic infrastructure facilities like construction of community halls and bus stands, laying of roads and improvement of water bodies were taken up in all town panchayats.
Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission which commenced in the year 2005, a sum of Rs.2,952 crore were allocated till the year 2012. Projects like providing drinking water, sewage removal, storm water drains, solid waste management and housing were taken up under this scheme. This scheme is being implemented in the corporations of Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore and their surrounding municipalities and town panchayats. Apart from this, under the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund-III which was being implemented with World Bank assistance, works amounting to Rs.1,414 crore were undertaken in 84 municipalities to provide basic amenities.
Thus local bodies in Tamil Nadu were vibrant under DMK rule and virtually non-functional nominal entities during ADMK regimes. By tradition, organizational structure, experience DMK candidates in the electoral fray now are promising servants of the people, equipped with knowledge of civic administration and commitment as against the candidates of ADMK and other parties. Now it is for the people to make the choice to serve them.
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