On Tuesday, activists taking part in a meeting organised in connection with the eviction of families from Surya Nagar along Adyar river in Kotturpuram, took strong exception to the attempts that were being made to relocate these residents. They said that with class X and Plus Two public examinations only a few weeks away, the proposed move to relocate them will affect students.
The meeting was convened at Kottur Gardens park with residents interacting with officials from Chennai Collectorate, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, Public Works and Revenue Department and representatives from non-governmental organisations and political parties.
‘Poor being targeted’
The government, according to G. Selva of Communist Party of India (Marxist), was targeting houses of only the poor, while going soft on recreational centres and commercial establishments.
The locality was located 132 feet away from the banks of the river, but other permanent multi-storey buildings were ignored.
He also took strong exception to officials’ announcement that Chennai would be made slum-free in two years.
Officials tried to convince the families that shifting to the tenements in Perumbakkam that had allocated for Surya Nagar families would be the safest option.
Officials said 1,015 families of Surya Nagar were living on government land on the edge of the Adyar river. They were being offered better housing with better amenities.
The slum-free programme was part of the central government-assisted housing for all.
