With the DMK back at the helm of things, its widely expected that a lot of noise regarding the development of Chennai will be made, right noises if I might say so, as opposed to the ADMK’s style of not creating any fuss, but just acting. During the last 5 years, development projects would happen, and not much noise would be made about them. News would spread of such projects much after they have been initiated and work has begun. With the DMK, the exact opposite seems to happen, a lot of publicity is created, but work usually proceeds at a snails pace, the best example of this is the MRTS plan, which even 10 years after it was initiated it remains to be completed.

DMK in its typical style has announced (via The Hindu) that a desalination plant for Chennai, the development of satellite suburbs and the metro rail project. I wonder what will happen to the MRTS project now that the Metro Rail is being developed. Would it just left idle? a total waste of the money invested in the project so far then. And I hope these projects would be completed, and not the just started.

Developing of satellite townships definitely a good move on the part of the government, it would help decongest the city. Already each area is becoming a self contained unit. A person living in Anna Nagar rarely has to come to Mylapore or Adyar except in the case of education and employment, all their other needs are met within their area itself, with developers ready and willing, it only makes political and financial sense for the DMK to promote satellite townships.

The final project of a desalination plant has been on the anvil for quite some time now. During each election, the various parties always mention this project, and try and garner votes using this project. The ADMK government issued a tender for the project, and finally had it moving, but the project was stalled over irregularities regarding the tender process. The DMK now once again hopes to get this project moving. I wish the various parties would lay more emphasis on rainwater harvesting and cleaning up the two waterways in Chennai rather than embarking on such a expensive solution to solve the water crises of Chennai. If the other options fail, then this could be a final solution to the water crises rather than being the first option.

DMK is now keen in undertaking these projects, to regain favour with the voters, who for the first time since possibly the late MGR’s time elected seven ADMK MLA’s from the city, or to possilby with the local body elections in mind. Chennai has always been the DMK’s bastion. Secondly the next in line for the DMK throne M.K Stalin, holds the local administration portfolio. His administrative abilities have been questioned, and the only post he has held earlier was the Mayor of Chennai, when he built numerous totally useless flyovers. This probably is an attempt to answer all doubts regarding his administrative abilities, and the development of Chennai would auger well to lay all doubts to rest. This clearly is the motive for the huge amount of publicity surrounding the development projects being undertaken. What ever is the reason, i doubt if any of these projects would proceed beyond ‘laying the foundation stone’ stage.