Makkal Needhi Maiam. Vice President. R.Thangavelu Statement :
The families residing at Thirumalai Nagar, Ramapuram, should be given homes which are rightfully theirs! Justice must be upheld!
For over 45 years, around 600 families have been residing in Thirumalai Nagar, Ramapuram, Maduravoyal, in the houses allotted by Slum Clearance Board.
A sudden jolt in the form of a case filed to remove the ‘encroachments’ has hit the people of Thirumalai Nagar quite rudely. Makkal Needhi Maiam requests the TN government that proper statistical data must be put forth and save the people of Thirumalai Nagar from losing their homes.
More than 600 families have been living in Thirumalai Nagar, Netaji Street, Moovendar Street, Periyar Street, Kannagi Street, VOC Street, Krishnaveni Street, JJ Street and Anna Street, which fall under Ward 155 – Ramapuram, the survey number being, 239/2.
In 1994, with the permission of Chennai Metropolitan Development Corporation, the tamilnadu Slum Clearance Board (now known as tamilnadu Urban Habitat Board ) allotted 600 sq.ft of plot each, to 276 families, and duly received the relevant amount for the same. Those who paid in full received their registered documents. Some of those with registered documents, received subsidy from the Central government’s housing project and built houses at the site.
In 2001, a case was filed in the High Court to remove the encroachments built in Vandipadhai, Ramapuram. The High Court had clearly said that before removing the hutments, those families must be given alternative accommodation by the Revenue Department. According to the direction of the High Court, 77 families were allotted layouts of 400 sq.ft each and these 77 families joined the 276 families living in the same area.
The PIL filed in 2019 came as a jolt to the people of Ramapuram. Allegations were made that these families have built houses on water bodies and that they must be removed immediately. Efforts were made to even shut down the local shops.
Now, Makkal Needhi Maiam has taken the lead for the people, along with other political organisations and legal experts.
Before every hearing, the officials of Chennai Corporation, along with the police, threaten the people to vacate and threaten the shop owners to shut down business. This is a regular pattern of stress these residents face. The relevant government departments are delaying the submission of documents in the High Court.
Makkal Needhi Maiam stands firm in its stance that encroachments on water bodies must be removed. Maiam shall stand with the efforts to save our water bodies. At the same time it is unacceptable to suddenly state that the lands allotted by the government are actually water bodies.
When the government departments submit the documents in the court, it will be clear to all that these were indeed allotted by the government. Until then, Makkal Needhi Maiam requests the Corporation and the police not to take any undue action or threaten the residents of Thirumalai Nagar.
When the case receives the judgement, the people of Thirumalai Nagar should be given streamlined documentation. Makkal Needhi Maiam firmly believes that the government should not be a mere witness to the woes of people who are already struggling being economically weak.
