Sirkazhi - Municipal Administration and Politics

Municipal Administration and Politics

During the British Raj, Shiyali (present-day Sirkazhi) was the headquarters of a separate administrative division, or taluka. In 1972 the town was declared a third grade municipality, and was upgraded to a second grade municipality in 1980. The municipality has 24 wards, each of which has an elected councillor. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, engineering, revenue, public health, town planning and IT, which are controlled by a Municipal Commissioner, who is the supreme executive head. Legislative powers are vested in a body of 24 members, one for each of the 24 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson, who is assisted by a deputy. On the revenue administration side, Sirkazhi is a taluka headquarters having three revenue villages: Kavilancheri, Sirkazhi and Thadalan.

For the purposes of state government, Sirkazhi is part of the Sirkazhi assembly constituency, which elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. The constituency is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. The assembly seat has been won by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1977, 1989, 1996 and 2006 elections and Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) in 1980, 1984, 1991, 2001 and 2011. As of 2011, the MLA of the constituency is M. Sakthi from the ADMK.

In the national parliament, Sirkazhi is a part of the Mayiladuthurai (Lok Sabha constituency), which has six assembly constituencies – Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Poompuhar, Thiruvidaimarudur (SC), Kumbakonam and Papanasam. The constituency was constituted during the third Lok Sabha (lower house) as Mayuram until the 1980 elections, when it was renamed Mayiladuthurai. During the first elections in 1957, Sirkazhi was part of Chidambaram constituency and was held by the Indian National Congress party. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is O.S. Manian of the ADMK party. From 1962, the Mayiladuthurai parliament seat was held by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) twice between 1967 and 1971, and from 1971 to 1977, Tamil Maanila Congress for two terms between 1998 and 1999 and 1996 to 1998, Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam once from 2009, Indian National Congress for eight terms during 1962–67, 1977–80, 1980–84, 1984–89, 1989–91, 1991–96, 1999–2004 and 2004–09

Law and order in Sirkazhi is maintained by the Mayiladuthurai sub-division of the Tamil Nadu Police, headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police. There is a police station in the town. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division, headed by a Superintendent of Police.