Chennai corporation has evicted pavement dwellers near Egmore railway station as a part of the region’s development projects.
56 pavement dwellers near the bus stand which is close to the Egmore railway station were evicted by the corporation officials on October 16 with the help of the police department. The evicted residents are asked to stay temporarily in a camp for homeless urban at Kannappar Thidal.
It is said that they were forcibly evicted from their residence and subsequently the residents have protested in front of the MLA office requesting houses at the same place.
When Selva from Marxist Communist Party speak on this, “56 pavement dwellers near Egmore railway station were forcibly evicted. They have not been provided with alternate accommodation. They have been asked to stay in a camp in Kannapar Thidal. We protested for alternate accommodation for the residents. Today the Egmore MLA committed that alternate houses will be arranged in 20 days and so has asked them to stay in the temporary shelter till that. Alternate accommodation should be provided to the residents as early as possible”.
Today, in a press meet, Egmore DMK MLA Parandhamen, “The pavement dwellers were evicted by the corporation officials to prevent them suffering during the rainy season. Shelter for them has been arranged in Egmore constituency camp for the homeless. In two weeks they will be shifted to Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board residence”, said.
Additionally, MLA Parandhaman has tweeted that he has visited the temporary camps in continuation of the plan to shift the pavement dwellers near Egmore railway station to a permanent residence.
We tried reaching the Chennai corporation but did not get a response. “We have asked the residents to stay in the temporary camps for 10 days. We are in the process of allotting houses to them. Pulianthope KP Park Slum Clearance Board apartment is an option that we have in the list, said the Chennai Corporation official”, reported New Indian Express.
It is said that a few of the residents evicted from the Egmore railway station are staying in the same place again. It is also questioned on when and where will the alternate accommodation be arranged for the residents. Tokens were provided to the evicted Cooum residents earlier but nothing such has been provided to these residents.
And it is also not clear when they will be allotted a house as the residents are in confusion if they need to stay for 10 or 20 days or will it take months. The government that plans for the infrastructure development of Chennai need to think about arranging permanent houses for the evicted residents who solely believe their daily wages, as soon as possible.
No news on evicting encroachers of an apartment who are wealthy can be seen anywhere.
