Articles by Nileena MS

Fake ration cards The issue of bogus ration cards is an important concern reported across India, and the central government has announced that ration cards may no longer be used as legitimate proof of identity and residence at the passport offices from April 2016. According to the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, a total of 11.14 lakh new family ration cards have been issued while 3.38 lakh fake cards were identified and cancelled across Tamil Nadu during the period from June 2011 to November 2014. According to a report published in 2012 by the Comptroller and Auditor General of…

Even as the Tamil Nadu government has introduced digitization of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and smart PDS cards, ration card holders from many parts of the district complain of lack of access to the monthly supply of commodities which points to the discrepancies in the functioning of ration shops.Tamil Nadu, which follows universal PDS system unlike other states, had asked for more time to implement the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, which is based on targeted PDS. Under NFSA, 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population are entitled to five…

In a much-awaited move, the Greater Corporation of Chennai (GCC) is all set to launch its bin-less waste transfer process on a pilot basis in a few of the wards in its newly added areas, which would eventually be extended to cover all of the 15 zones. This would mean that GCC is planning to focus on source segregation and waste processing, instead of the current method of street bins being emptied into compactor trucks which transport the garbage to the dumping yards. As discussed in the first part of this story, lack of source segregation and waste processing mechanisms…

This election season, Citizen Matters Chennai conducted a survey to analyse the state of the affairs in various neighborhoods of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC),  which has thrown light on some interesting facts about the residents’ perception of local governance. The survey conducted by AskByPoll for Citizen Matters, was to understand the view of Chennaiites on public policy, local body representatives, quality of local governance, performance of MLAs, and important civic issues. Over 100 respondents from different parts of Chennai took part in the survey, out of which 15 percent were from the  extended areas  of the GCC. Around 68 percent…

Even as the AIADMK government assumed office with a historic second consecutive victory in the Assembly Elections, DMK swept Chennai, by winning 10 out of 16 seats. Another factor was anti-incumbency - except for Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar, Kolathur, Royapuram, and Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, none of the other constituencies in Chennai district saw the reelection of sitting MLAs. Was this expected? Yes, it was, for at least some poll analysts. Many constituencies in Chennai were not so happy with their MLAs’ performance during the last tenure. This was projected in a survey done in February by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO…

Even as the torrential rains in December improved groundwater tables, unchecked extraction of groundwater by water tankers is a cause for worry. Who will bell this cat? Even as the mercury soars, the increase in groundwater level and storage in reservoirs have eased the concern of residents over water shortage in many parts of Chennai. After the record rainfall last year that resulted in severe flooding, the ground water level in many areas around the city has increased by 6-8 metres, with some areas even recording an increase of 10.5 metres, according to the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage…

To view map, see: http://bl.ocks.org/d/37594a1fa5d0467ebf72d714d23ee31e Chepauk-Triplicane constituency was formed by the merging of Chepauk and Triplicane- two localities in Central Chennai- as part of the delimitation process in 2008. Erstwhile Chepauk constituency was represented by DMK MLAs since 1977; whereas erstwhile Triplicane elected  DMK candidates in six out of nine elections. DMK President M. Karunanidhi was elected from here in 1996, 2001 and 2006 Assembly Elections.  J. Anbazhagan (DMK) is the incumbent MLA of this DMK stronghold. This constituency has over 2.5 lakh voters. Minority votes play a crucial role in this constituency, as over 25 per cent of voters belong…

To view map, see: http://bl.ocks.org/d/af8dc36ebe81deb00e29bc2e96947aae. Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar (R.K. Nagar) was with the DMK from 1977-89, but  has been a stronghold of AIADMK since 2001.The constituency has around 2.5 lakh voters, majority of them belonging to the lower income groups. RK Nagar constituency includes Korukkupet, Tondiarpet, New Washermenpet, Jeeva Nagar, Cherian Nagar, Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar, and Kumarasamy Nagar. Despite all the buzz about being a high-profile constituency, civic issues including drinking water supply, healthcare, pollution, and sanitation remain the  main concerns of residents in RK Nagar. Candidates Jayalalithaa. J. (AIADMK) Shimla Muthuchozan (DMK) Agnes P. (PMK) Raja M.N (BJP) Vasanthi Devi…

To view map, see: http://bl.ocks.org/d/3a35085d38f71f53fc61c2c4a31bf3e7  Anna Nagar was a stronghold of DMK till the last elections. DMK was elected here in seven out of nine Assembly Elections since 1977, and M. Karunanidhi was the MLA of this constituency from 1977-84. This has changed since the last elections with the victory of AIADMK’s S.Gokul Indira, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, by a margin of 35,000 votes. DMK is campaigning hard to win Anna Nagar back whereas AIADMK’s campaign focuses on J.Jayalalitha’s achievements in an attempt to retain the constituency. There are  around 2.83 lakh voters in Anna Nagar constituency this year.…