Selaivayal Residents Protest Civic Woes at Perambur MLA Office in Sharma Nagar

Tension prevailed outside the Perambur MLA office in Sharma Nagar on Monday morning as residents of Selaivayal in Kodungaiyur gathered to protest the persistent lack of basic civic infrastructure, including proper roads, drainage systems, and streetlights in their locality.

The demonstrators arrived at the MLA office of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to submit a formal petition outlining their grievances. According to the residents, multiple previous representations submitted to the MLA office had failed to resolve the ongoing civic issues in the area. Tensions escalated outside the premises when protesters said they did not receive a proper response from the officials present.

In a petition submitted by residents of Vedantham Murugappa Naicker Street, they pointed out that around 70 people reside in the locality and regularly pay their taxes. Despite this, the area continues to suffer from severe civic neglect, lacking essential amenities such as paved roads, functioning drainage networks, and street lighting.

"We have been demanding proper drainage and road facilities for years. We have also approached the MLA office since it opened. This is the Chief Minister’s constituency. We are asking only for our basic rights, but there is no proper response," said S Ashok, a local resident.

The demonstration continued for about an hour before police personnel, along with TVK members, intervened at around 11:30 a.m. and asked the residents to disperse from the site.

V Siva, the TVK district secretary for Chennai North (North) and chairman of the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, stated that the civic issue is currently pending before the court. He added that the concerns raised by the residents would be examined.