Residents to contest civic polls
Tuesday September 26 2006 09:35 IST

CHENNAI: Protests against the proposed expansion of the Chennai airport for which the government intends to acquire land in Pozichalur, Anakaputhur, Cowl Bazaar and the surrounding suburbs are likely to echo in the October local body polls.

Residents of these colonies, who have raised a war cry against plans to acquire their homes and land, are contemplating fielding their representatives in the elections to take on the nominees of political parties.

In fact, a few residents have already filed their nominations as Independent candidates and others are preparing to seek the support of influential persons in the neighbourhood.

There is a seething anger among them against the alleged apathy of the representatives of the local panchayats in taking up their cause.

According to residents, the panchayat members and the president had failed to alert them on the government plan to acquire land. Besides, they did not play any key role in the agitations organised to oppose the airport expansion move.

Therefore, a cross-section of residents wants to uproot these elected representatives.

"The main plank for local body elections in our area will centre around the airport expansion project. By contesting the elections, we hope to send out a strong statement to politicians," a Pozichalur resident said.

Also in the race will be candidates firmly backed by the Federation of Pozhichalur Citizens' Welfare Association, which has been actively organising public protests and meetings ever since the issue came to light.

Selvaraj, the president of the federation, argued that if the panchayat council was dominated by independent councillors who are opposed to the airport expansion project, it will be easy to gather more support from residents for the protests in the coming months.

At the moment, "there are chinks in the armour. But post-elections, we hope to strengthen our unity," he said.

With the polls around the corner, the mood in Pozhichalur is upbeat.

All that the candidates and other residents believe is that they cannot only intensify their anti- expansion protests, but also do it with more authority should they get elected.

And the aspiring members are not full-time politicians but just office-goers and pensioners.

SOURCE :New Indian Express