CHENNAI, Tamil Nadu: The Tamil Nadu State Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department has upgraded Pudukottai, Namakkal, Karaikudi, and Tiruvannamalai to municipal corporations by merging them with nearby local bodies.
This decision, which followed an announcement by KN Nehru, Minister of Municipal Administration, Tamil Nadu, in March 2023, took effect on August 12, 2024.
Karaikudi will now include the Kandanur and Kottaiyur town panchayats, along with five village panchayats. Tiruvannamalai will merge with 18 village panchayats, while Pudukkottai and Namakkal will each merge with 12 village panchayats. As a result of these upgrades, new corporation wards will be established for upcoming elections.
With these additions, Tamil Nadu now has a total of 25 municipal corporations. This move reflects the state’s response to the growing urban population, which is estimated to have increased to around 53 per cent, up from 48.45 per cent in the 2011 census.