Kallakurichi is all set to become Tamil Nadu’s 33rd district. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami made the announcement on the floor of the assembly on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister was giving a speech in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly in response to the Governor’s speech when he said that in accordance with the requests made by C Ve Shanmugam, the law minister and the MLA from Ulundurpet assembly constituency in Villupuram district, the new district has been announced. He also added that since Villupuram covers a huge area, it was difficult for the administrators to govern the district. Currently, people from Kallakurichi have to travel at least 70 km to reach the district collectorate in Villupuram. The move to carve out a separate district is aimed at benefitting Kallakurichi residents, the CM said.
The Chief Minister also stated that a separate IAS officer and other officers would be appointed to govern the district and that all details will be announced later. The decision was a result of a request pending for many years since the district has 11 assembly constituencies and three parliamentary constituencies. Villupuram is the fourth largest district in Tamil Nadu with an area of 7,217 sq km.
The CM also stated that an IAS officer will be appointed as special officer to supervise the formation of the district. Kallakurichi district is expected to have four assembly constituencies and one parliamentary constituency. As of now, Kallakurichi is a municipality and a known centre for rice production.
In February 2018, Kallakurichi MLA A Prabhu shifted from the Edappadi Palaniswami faction to TTV Dhinakaran’s camp. He attributed his shift of loyalty to the failure of the state government to form a separate district with Kallakurichi as its headquarters.
Tiruppur was the newest district to be formed in Tamil Nadu before this announcement. It was formed in 2008 with parts from Coimbatore and Erode districts.