TVK ally CPI(M)’s Madurai MP Su Venkatesan has strongly opposed the Joseph Vijay government’s reported move to hand over the Madurai Corporation’s underground sewerage project to private players under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Venkatesan, who is part of the Communist movement that has extended support to the TVK-led government, criticised the move in a statement and urged the government to immediately withdraw the proposal.
According to Venkatesan, the state government has invited tenders to hand over the underground sewerage project in Madurai to private entities under the PPP model.
He alleged that the decision could worsen the city’s existing civic problems, particularly in waste management.
“Already, by handing over sanitation work to private players, our Madurai, the temple city, has become a garbage city,” Venkatesan said.
He further alleged that the private company contracted to remove around 1,000 tonnes of garbage every day was making profits by allegedly dumping soil instead of properly removing the waste.
Venkatesan also claimed that complaints had been made by the Corporation Commissioner and protests had been held over the issue, but that no effective action had been taken under either the previous government or the present administration.
“Even after the Corporation Commissioner filed a complaint and protests were held, no action could be taken either during the previous regime or this regime,” he said.
The CPI(M) MP argued that handing over underground sewerage operations to private entities after what he described as a failure in private waste-management operations could create further problems for Madurai.
“If the underground sewerage project is also handed over to the private administrations that have completely failed in removing garbage, the entire city will stink,” Venkatesan said.
He questioned whether this was what the Tamil Nadu government intended and demanded that the proposal be abandoned immediately.
Madurai has had ongoing underground drainage and sewerage works across several parts of the corporation. Corporation records show that multiple projects have been undertaken over the years, including works in areas added to the corporation and projects under the Smart City scheme. In March 2025, underground sewerage works worth ₹292.80 crore were launched across 15 wards in the western zone.
மதுரை மாநகராட்சி பாதாள சாக்கடை திட்டத்தை அரசு-தனியார் பங்களிப்பு (PPP) என்ற பெயரில் முழுமையாகத் தனியார் வசம் ஒப்படைக்க தமிழக அரசு டெண்டர் கோரியுள்ள நடவடிக்கைக்கு எனது வன்மையான கண்டனத்தைத் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்.
ஏற்கனவே தூய்மைப் பணியைத் தனியாருக்குக் கொடுத்ததன் மூலம், கோயில்… pic.twitter.com/WyFr6xwQmQ
— Su Venkatesan MP (@SuVe4Madurai) September 30, 2026
Venkatesan has previously raised concerns over Madurai’s underground drainage works as well. In 2021, he sought funds from the state government to repair roads damaged by underground drainage and water-supply works, while residents had also complained that ongoing underground drainage works had left roads in poor condition.
It is noteworthy that the CPI(M) leadership has been constantly attacking the TVK government over the past few weeks.
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