2 months ago
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Virugambakkam and its surrounding areas are among the fast-developing neighbourhoods successful Chennai. It is location to respective residential localities, too 1 of Asia’s largest perishable goods markets — the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex — and Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G.R. Bus Terminus, formerly Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT).
The constituency comprises respective densely populated residential localities, including K.K. Nagar, parts of Ashok Nagar and Vadapalani, Saligramam, Kannabiran Nagar, Virugambakkam, Jafferkhanpet, Koyambedu, and Annai Sathya Nagar.
S. Arumainathan, president of the Virugambakkam Residents Welfare Association, said determination are nary authorities hospitals successful this densely populated residential country that relation round-the-clock. The locality is location to radical from divers socio-economic backgrounds, peculiarly regular wage labourers, helium said.
Healthcare woes
The wellness centre successful Virugambakkam operates lone until 3 p.m. While it provides facilities for prenatal and postnatal care, residents person been demanding the constitution of a labour ward. At present, they are forced to spell to Kodambakkam oregon Kilpauk for deliveries, helium said, and demanded that the wellness centre beryllium upgraded to a authorities infirmary with improved facilities.
Residents besides request that pattas beryllium issued to radical surviving connected authorities poramboke land successful areas specified arsenic Bharathiyar Nagar, Kulasekarapuram, Pachaiamman Nagar, and Gandhi Nagar.
They besides flagged the occupation of blockages successful underground sewer pipelines moving from Arcot Road to the Koyambedu attraction plant, which often leads to overflow successful respective places.
To code this, residents request 3 mini pumping stations wrong this network. They besides sought the operation of nationalist libraries. and a ft overbridge with escalator facilities adjacent the bluish extremity of the Koyambedu flyover to assistance schoolhouse students and aged persons transverse the roadworthy safely. Commuters person besides raised concerns astir the mediocre information of Kaliamman Koil Street, which connects Jawaharlal Nehru Road (100-feet road) with Arcot Road.
For traders successful the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex, the proviso of piped drinking h2o to shops remains a concern.
According to S. Chandran, president of the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Licensed Merchants’ Association, piped drinking h2o proviso has been a request of merchants for adjacent to 2 decades. There is nary specified proviso for much than 3,000 shops successful the marketplace analyzable that merchantability fruits, flowers, and vegetables. There are nary communal provisions for drinking h2o either, helium said.
As buses plying from CMBT to different parts of the State person importantly reduced pursuing the opening of Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) astatine Kilambakkam, Mr. Arumainathan demanded that this autobus analyzable beryllium converted to integrated acquisition analyzable for women with arts and subject and polytechnic colleges with hostel facilities.
Another densely populated country that falls nether the Virugambakkam Assembly conception is K.K. Nagar. According to K.S. Rajendran, president of the K.K. Nagar Residents Welfare Association, encroachments connected footpaths person emerged arsenic a large concern, with eateries mushrooming on residential stretches specified arsenic Ramasamy Street, Lakshmanasamy Salai, and Ponnambalam Salai. This concern leaves small abstraction for pedestrians to locomotion safely, helium said.
“The occupation is peculiarly superior arsenic astir 10 schools relation successful the neighbourhood, and children are incapable to locomotion to schoolhouse comfortably owed to blocked walkways,” said K. Elangoo, a nonmigratory and ineligible advisor of the association.
He besides said Anna Main Road, Azhagirisamy Salai, and Kamarajar Salai, are schoolhouse zones and children are forced to locomotion connected the roads owed to encroachments by vehicles utilized for operation purposes. Even aft approaching the tribunal and obtaining orders for the removal of encroachments, these were not cleared, and K.K. Nagar is being utilized arsenic a parking bay, helium said.
Further, residents request that parks beryllium good maintained. Citing the illustration of a parkland astatine Sector 11, Mr. Rajendran said gym and play instrumentality successful immoderate parks endure from rusting and demanded due maintenance. Residents besides constituent retired that K.K. Nagar, a flood-prone area, has seen immoderate betterment pursuing flood mitigation measures, but they consciousness much needs to beryllium done to debar h2o stagnation during dense rain.
Electoral past
This constituency was formed post-delimitation successful 2008. Since then, the DMDK won successful 2011, the AIADMK won successful 2016, and the DMK successful 2021. With the DMK announcing incumbent MLA A.M.V. Prabhakara Raja and the AIADMK fielding erstwhile MLA Virugai V.N. Ravi, the contention present is intimately watched.
This constituency besides witnessed astir a 31% simplification successful its electorate pursuing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rotation exercise.
