Imaiyam: Stigma of 1,300 years will be erased

Discussions under way at level of senior officials to formulate plan and guidelines

- K EZHILARASAN @Chennai

WHILE Chief Minister MK Stalin made a socially significant announcement in April in the Assembly to remove the term 'colony' from the names of habitations of SC people in official records and public usage, the government machinery is now preparing for its implementation, in what is likely to be a humongous exercise that not only involves renaming lakhs of such streets across Tamil Nadu, but also to reflect the same in government records of individuals.

Sources said discussions are under way at the level of senior officials in formulating a plan and guidelines. The government is inclining towards constituting a committee, which will include the ministers for municipal administration and rural development and senior officials from the departments concerned, to implement the work.

Deliberations are under way on whether to seek suggestions of names from people living in the respective localities through the staff at village panchayat, the Block Development Officers and other revenue officials, who could then shortlist or choose one in accordance with guidelines to be suggested by the government.