TN sets Dec 31 deadline to redraw administrative boundaries ahead of 2027 Census

Chennai, Aug 25 (IANS) With preparations for Census 2027 underway, the Tamil Nadu government has set December 31 as the deadline to complete all changes to administrative boundaries, including delimitation of civic zones and reorganisation of district limits.

The move is expected to streamline governance by merging smaller local bodies with larger corporations, improving infrastructure delivery and ensuring fair representation. The state public department has instructed officials to fast-track pending proposals for merging revenue villages, reorganising police and municipal limits, and redrawing civic zones before the freeze comes into effect.

The directive follows guidelines from the Registrar General and Census Commissioner that once boundaries are frozen, they must remain unchanged until the census concludes to avoid duplication in enumeration.

“Any boundary changes made after enumeration begins could risk residents being counted twice under different zones,” a senior official said.

As part of the restructuring, several fast-growing neighbourhoods, including Iyyappanthangal, Thiruverkadu, Vanagaram and Medavakkam, are set to be merged into corporations, enabling them to access more funds and development schemes.

Greater Chennai Corporation has already announced its expansion from 15 to 22 zones, Tambaram Corporation awaits the merger of 18 villages, and Avadi Corporation is preparing to grow from 65 sq km to 188 sq km with the inclusion of 19 local bodies.

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has also widened its Sriperumbudur town plan under the Chennai Metropolitan Area expansion.

Delimitation in the state is carried out by the Delimitation Commission using the latest Census to redraw constituencies so that each representative covers roughly the same population.

The process involves consultations with political parties, local officials and residents, and once notified in the Gazette, the new boundaries become law. However, concerns remain about the pace of the exercise. While officials are pushing to complete the exercise before year-end, elected representatives say the lack of clarity could create confusion among voters.

“Maps announced years ago have still not been shared with us, but we are expected to implement them overnight,” said a councillor from north Chennai, warning that rushed decisions could affect people’s access to services and polling stations.

--IANS

aal/dpb