Tambaram City Municipal Corporation

Tambaram City Municipal Corporation (TCMC) is a local government of the City of Tambaram within the Chennai Metropolitan Area of Tamil Nadu, India. It covers an area of 87.64 sq. km in the Chengalpattu district, and has an estimated 2021 population of 960,887.

It is one of the four municipal corporations located within the Chennai Metropolitan Area, the other three being the Greater Chennai Corporation, Avadi City Municipal Corporation and Kanchipuram Municipal Corporation. Tambaram is the 20th civic body to become a municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu.

Etymology
Tambaram is a medieval town referred to as Taamapuram in an inscription of the 13th century. The word was inscribed on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum at Marundeeswarar temple in Tirukachur village, near Chengalpattu.

Structure
The executive authority in Tambaram City Municipal Corporation is vested in Corporation Commissioner. The Corporation Commissioner is appointed by the State Government of Tamil Nadu.

The Mayor, who is indirectly elected by the councillors, is the head of the municipal corporation, but the role is largely ceremonial as executive powers are vested in the Corporation Commissioner. The office of the Mayor combines a functional role of chairing the Corporation meeting as well as a ceremonial role associated with being the First Citizen of the city. Deputy Mayor is appointed by the Mayor for a five-year term.

The legislative branch of Tambaram City Municipal Corporation consists of a council of elected councillors from each ward.The Legislative body is presided over by the Mayor.

On 1st January 2021, the Tambaram Police Commissionerate was established as the city police administration of the City of Tambaram.

Officials
The Corporation Commissioner is S. Balachander, IAS. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are K. Vasanthakumari and G. Kamaraj respectively. The Commissioner of Police is Abin Dinesh Modak, IPS.

Zones
When Tambaram City Municipal Corporation was established, it consisted of 70 wards under 5 zones.

Area Sabha
Tambaram Corporation has 70 wards and each ward is divided into nine Area Sabhas with one member heading it. Totally, the Corporation has 630 Area Sabhas. Area Sabhas will be conducted once in three months. At least 200 residents from the ward are required to participate for conducting Area Sabha.

Police
In September 2021, the government revealed its plans of reforming the Greater Chennai City Police and setting up two new commissionerates in Tambaram and Avadi. Subsequently, Director General of Police (DGP) M. Ravi was deputed as special officer to form the Commissionerate. The new Police Commissionerate in Tambaram was formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on 1 January 2022. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Amalraj IPS took over charge as Commissioner of Police of Tambaram City Police.

The Tambaram police commissionerate functions with two police districts⁠—Tambaram and Pallikaranai, comprising 20 police stations. For ease of administration, Somangalam and Manimangalam police stations from Kancheepuram district along with Otteri, Guduvanchery, Maraimalai Nagar, Thalambur and Kelambakkam police stations from Chengalpattu district have been attached to the Tambaram Police Commissionerate.

Current council
The current members of the Municipal City Council were elected in urban body elections held on19 February 2022.