The Coimbatore South Assembly constituency that is five years old compromises areas that fall within the city corporation limits from Gandhipuram to Ukkadam and from Telugu Street to parts of Puliakulam.
It houses corporate offices, the collectore, Police Commissionerate, the Railway Junction, the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, the T.K. Market and hundreds of shops on Oppanakra Street, Raja Street, Edayar Street, Cross Cut Road and the lanes that branch off those roads and bus stands.
Given the fact that the constituency witnesses high people movement, traffic congestion is the biggest problem, voters say and add in the same breath that the lack of measures to decongest the city is their biggest grievance.
Aside from the under construction Gandhipuram flyover, which was initiated during the DMK regime in 2006-11, there has been very little steps in the past five years to decongest the city. Even steps aimed at improving parking facilities are not in place, says N. Krishnakumar, a resident.
No surprise then that the AIADMK, Congress, BJP and other candidates in the fray have promised multi-level car parking facilities and foot-over bridges. But these promises have been there since the last Assembly election.
D. Nandakumar, president, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, says that infrastructure development not catching up with pace of the city’s growth is, in short, the problem.
To start with, the next elected representative should focus on bringing subways, foot-over bridges and schemes roads.
The next of voters’ demand is for improving drinking water facility. The constituency residents at present get Siruvani and Pilloor water, supplied by the corporation. That has not been adequate. The demand is for improvement in the distribution of water and augmentation of drinking water source by way of a new scheme.
As part of the de-congestion steps, voters are also asking for shifting out T.K. Market for better utilisation of the space.
The need for better infrastructure has gained importance more so with the Central Government selecting Coimbatore a smart city. An issue that has become a talking point in this election is the one per cent Central Excise on gold jewellery because the number of people in to the business is big. This Central Government’s move will definitely weigh in on the minds of those in the gold business when they vote, says B. Sabarinath, a jewellery shop owner.
He says there are about 75,000 to a lakh people in the trade in Coimbatore.
The move affects only jewellery shop owners and not goldsmiths, clarifies a member of the goldsmiths’ association.
To give boost to the jewellery business, the next MLA should play a role in getting he State Government to promote the trade, Mr. Nandakumar suggests.
In the last Assembly election, the AIADMK won by over 25,000 votes. The contest was mainly between the AIADMK and the DMK. This time though it is a quadrangular contest among the DMK-Congress, People’s Welfare Front, AIADMK and BJP.
It houses corporate offices, the collectore, Police Commissionerate, the Railway Junction, the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, the T.K. Market and hundreds of shops on Oppanakra Street, Raja Street, Edayar Street, Cross Cut Road and the lanes that branch off those roads and bus stands.
Given the fact that the constituency witnesses high people movement, traffic congestion is the biggest problem, voters say and add in the same breath that the lack of measures to decongest the city is their biggest grievance.
Aside from the under construction Gandhipuram flyover, which was initiated during the DMK regime in 2006-11, there has been very little steps in the past five years to decongest the city. Even steps aimed at improving parking facilities are not in place, says N. Krishnakumar, a resident.
No surprise then that the AIADMK, Congress, BJP and other candidates in the fray have promised multi-level car parking facilities and foot-over bridges. But these promises have been there since the last Assembly election.
D. Nandakumar, president, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, says that infrastructure development not catching up with pace of the city’s growth is, in short, the problem.
To start with, the next elected representative should focus on bringing subways, foot-over bridges and schemes roads.
The next of voters’ demand is for improving drinking water facility. The constituency residents at present get Siruvani and Pilloor water, supplied by the corporation. That has not been adequate. The demand is for improvement in the distribution of water and augmentation of drinking water source by way of a new scheme.
As part of the de-congestion steps, voters are also asking for shifting out T.K. Market for better utilisation of the space.
The need for better infrastructure has gained importance more so with the Central Government selecting Coimbatore a smart city. An issue that has become a talking point in this election is the one per cent Central Excise on gold jewellery because the number of people in to the business is big. This Central Government’s move will definitely weigh in on the minds of those in the gold business when they vote, says B. Sabarinath, a jewellery shop owner.
He says there are about 75,000 to a lakh people in the trade in Coimbatore.
The move affects only jewellery shop owners and not goldsmiths, clarifies a member of the goldsmiths’ association.
To give boost to the jewellery business, the next MLA should play a role in getting he State Government to promote the trade, Mr. Nandakumar suggests.
In the last Assembly election, the AIADMK won by over 25,000 votes. The contest was mainly between the AIADMK and the DMK. This time though it is a quadrangular contest among the DMK-Congress, People’s Welfare Front, AIADMK and BJP.