Are the people in Arumbakkam whose houses were evicted given alternate accommodation? Let’s hear from the victim and the Executive Engineer.
“Dalit people living near Cooum river for 25 years have been evacuated. Only 240 out of 270 houses were considered while taking count”, this information on social media seems to be circulated while the houses of people living in Radhakrishnan Nagar, Arumbakkam, Chennai were evicted.
Images and videos claiming that 90 out of 240 houses of people living for more than 20 years were evicted without proper notice and an alternate accommodation are circulated on social media.
சென்னை அரும்பாக்கம் ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் நகரை சேர்ந்த தலித் மக்கள் வெளியேற்றம்.
25 வருடமாக வாழ்ந்து வந்த பூர்வகுடிகளை ஒட்டுமொத்தமாக வெளியேற்றும் போக்கை வன்மையாக கண்டிப்போம்.
இங்கு மொத்தம் 270 வீடுகள் உள்ளநிலையில் இதில் 240 வீடுகள் கணக்கு எடுத்துள்ளன.@beemji pic.twitter.com/sQoAToi1sd
— நீலம் பண்பாட்டு மையம் (@Neelam_Culture) July 29, 2021
இடம்: சென்னை அரும்பாக்கம், ஆர்.கே நகர்..
கூவத்தை ஒட்டியுள்ள தலித் மக்களின் வீடுகள் அகற்றப்படுகிறது..
அவர்களுக்கு சரியான மாற்று இடம் ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டு விட்டதா?
வாழ்வாதரத்திற்கான உத்திரவாதம் தரப்பட்டு விட்டதா?? pic.twitter.com/7Wb7vusTQ6
— Ilayabarathi Ambedkar (@IlayabarathiAm1) July 29, 2021
There are several questions on whether the people are provided with an alternate accommodation and on what happened to the people whose houses were evicted.
One of the victims ‘Paulraj’ said Youturn, “We were informed that 90 out of 240 houses will be evicted and alternate accommodation for 93 families have also been arranged. But this does not include those who are staying for rent. However, we haven’t received alternate accommodation for 25 families out of the committed 93 houses. We have written to Public Works Department on this. We would know the count of left out houses only after today’s survey. And we haven’t been provided with any prior notice. Few of whose alternate accommodation was not arranged stayed in their relatives’ houses and the rest stayed under the bridge. Those who have got the arrangement are staying in E block of K.P Park. 40 families were provided accommodation yesterday and 20 got it today. None of the political parties supported us”.
When we spoke with 8th zone Executive Engineer who was there during the eviction of houses near Cooum river, Radhakrishnan Nagar said, “93 out of 243 houses were evicted yesterday and today for which 91 alternate accommodations were made in K.P Park. All those who have been allotted houses in the year of 2016 were provided with one. It’s been a month since we allocate houses. The first phase of resettling covered 91 houses out of 243 and the remaining 150 houses will be provided in second phase. We have requested for the next allotments in K.P Park (Pulianthope Slum Clearance Board Apartment).
243 houses are allotted now based on the survey in 2016 and not on the recent one. Additional houses along with 150 in the second phase may also be provided. For now, 93 families are resettled in K.P Park. Those houses are permanent and not temporary. We also have arranged a vehicle to carry their belongings, and food for 3 days also have been arranged”.
We can discern few posts worrying that the resettlement has been done in Perumbakkam which is 30 km away from Radhakrishnan Nagar, Arumbakkam. But first phase of resettlement has been made in K.P Park which is approx 9 km away from Radhakrishnan Nagar. We also have received information that second phase of alternate accommodations will also be in K.P Park.
It is known from the Executive Engineer that 243 houses are allotted based on the 2016 survey. However, it is saddened to know that the newly added families/houses are not included in the list. It is a request from all of us that everybody should get the required arrangement from the government.
