TN Government Drops Kancheepuram Satellite Town Plan to Avoid Duplication

The Tamil Nadu government has officially dropped the proposed Kancheepuram new town development plan and the detailed development and heritage revitalisation plan to avoid overlapping administrative efforts, according to an order issued by the Housing and Urban Development department.

The department recently rescinded its February 2023 notification, which had initiated the preparation of these plans for the 2025–2045 period. Housing and Urban Development secretary R Kirlosh Kumar stated that the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) is already formulating a master plan for the Kancheepuram Local Planning Area, making the separate satellite town plan conceived by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) redundant.

To prevent duplication, the state decided to withdraw the CMDA's proposed plan for the region. The DTCP has enlisted Anna University to draft the comprehensive master plan, which is expected to be finalized before August 2027.

Under the February 2023 notification, the Kancheepuram new town development project was intended to cover 36 square kilometres across 17 revenue villages. Prior to that step, the CMDA had passed a resolution observing that Kancheepuram was developing in a haphazard manner, leading to an uncontrolled rise in commercial establishments and mounting traffic congestion in the core town area.

To address these urban challenges, authorities had outlined a dual strategy: a detailed development plan focused on heritage conservation and core area redevelopment, alongside a satellite town plan aimed at revenue villages abutting National Highway 48 (NH-48). However, no substantial progress was achieved beyond the initial notification.

The decision comes in the context of several regional development projects. Notifications were previously issued for new town plans with distinct themes across the region, including Chengalpattu as an urban centre, Thiruvallur as a knowledge hub, Thirumazhisai as an innovation city, Minjur as an industrial and port hub, and Mahabalipuram for tourism and recreation, alongside industrial proposals for Sriperumbudur and Maraimalai Nagar.