Will try to bring Tidel Park 3 to Avadi, says K Pandiarajan

Avadi constituency’s AIADMK candidate K Pandiarajan is no fresher to either business or politics. He is known for founding recruitment and staffing firm Ma Foi. In 2011, he made his political debut with Vijayakanth’s DMDK and contested and won from his hometown of Virudhunagar. In 2013, he joined AIADMK and is contesting from Avadi. He says water, job creation and women’s empowerment are the focus of his campaign. Excerpts from an interview with Rachel Chitra:
What difference will you bring to the constituency?
Having successfully managed Ma Foi Management Consultants with my wife Latha Pandiarajan for many years, I can say that I have the expertise and contacts in the corporate world to deliver on my promise — which is that I will create 2,000 jobs every year for young people in Avadi. We will be holding job fairs at least twice a year and we want to cash in on the rich talent in a cosmopolitan and industrial hub like Avadi.

What about the problems in your constituency? What measures are you taking to address them?

Ihave been working on the ground, talking to people from all strata of society — shopkeepers, traders, factory workers, residents — and the single largest problem they all face in Avadi is acute water shortage. There are constant disruptions in Metrowater supply, and buying canned water has become the order of the day. I want to ensure that people have access to safe drinking water. Avadi has more than 201small lakes, but the water is not potable, so I am looking into ideas to reduce salinity. I plan to build storm water drains and convert the open drains into closed, connected sewers.

One of the primary prongs of your election campaign is women’s empowerment. How do you plan to go about it?

Over the last decade, my Sornammal Trust (named after his grandmother) has worked with more than 60,000 women. I have been meeting SHGs in Avadi and have a fair understanding of what underprivileged women, who run small businesses, want. We have our own microfinance agency, Varam, and have tied-up with a host of bankers to give these women access to finance. Our aim is to select 20 women SHGs every year, train them and help them set up large businesses.

Are there other areas of development you will be working on?

We aim to map each family in Avadi and have started the process. We will be mapping their needs, and using analytics, we will try to deliver family packages to address needs like education, healthcare loans, and home improvement. I am keen to build an IT park. The government has a piece of land here that can be developed into Tidel Park 3.