What would you expect a politician who has just lost the election battle by a margin of around 12000 votes to do? Shrug his shoulders, be a little bitter and avoid a chat.
R Nataraj of the AIADMK who lost out on Sunday is not of that kind.
Within hours of his loss , the outgoing MLA recalled to Mylapore Times his experience over the last five years of serving the people of Mylapore. “I had listed twenty points as my promises for Mylapore in 2016. I would say I achieved most of it.”
He counts among his big achievements the clearing of the garbage transfer station at Hamilton bridge area that had been a long pending grievance of the local people. “I had promised demolition and reconstruction of old Slum Clearance Board tenements and got that going. I secured government orders for the construction of over 12000 tenements with an allocation of Rs. 1680 crores. 540 houses have been constructed in the first phase and the next one is under construction.”
He points to the park for differently-abled at San Thome as being first of its kind in the entire state.
Among other developments and contributions he made to Mylapore over the last five years, he is particularly proud of the table tennis facility in Alphonso ground along South Canal Road ( off Adyar Poonga campus) , the Community Hall at Dooming Kuppam, SKP Puram and Karaikuttai, the setting up of three parks in San Thome, Thiruveethi Amman Street and Karpagam Avenue.
“Close to 250 roads in Mylapore had been re-laid in the last five years and work on another almost 140 roads had been planned for this year.”
‘Satisfying engagement with Mylaporeans’
Well past midnight on Sunday, he told the Mylapore Times that he addressed the grievances of people with sincerity and ran an office 24/7 for the assistance of the people of Mylapore.
“Looking back it was indeed satisfying and I stood by the people helping them during the pandemic. In the first three months of the pandemic, I arranged food for ten thousand people every day and ten lakh people benefitted.”
For this former DG of TN Police and former Chairman of TN Public Service Commission, it is exactly 10years since this 1975 batch IPS officer retired.
He contested in the 2016 TN legislative Assembly elections and served a five year term as a MLA from the Mylapore constituency.
He may have lost the election battle, but the man is undeterred by the setback and is keen to continue his engagement with the people of Mylapore “I will continue to remain a ‘faithful friend in need’ for anyone in Mylapore.”
Photo used here – at one Sunday Kutcheri in the Park held at Nageswara Rao Park, Luz
- Report by S. Prabhu
Sir, mylaporians can’t forget you, since you are in their hearts. Your services to the local will speak for ever. It’s sad that you lost in the election.
He sincerely worked hard for the downtrodden. He did lot of good work .should have been elected again. Sad.