COIMBATORE: People who have been living in sheds in Pullukadu after they were evicted from Ukkadam for the flyover project have urged the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to vacate traders from the old fish market and hand over the land to the Tamil Nadu Housing Board department to construct houses for them. The civic body is unable to evict traders as many of them have dues worth crores and is unable to allot shops in the new complex.
The Ukkadam - Aathupalam flyover project was started in 2018 and completed in 2024. To facilitate the construction, of ramps, 727 families from CMC Colony were evicted, They were provided temporary sheds in Pullukadu. Sources said the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) through Ukkadam Project IV built about 235 houses and handed them over to some people, For the remaining 492 families, officials planned to construct a separate block with 520 houses.
Work started in 2020 to build a housing unit with 222 residential units. Four years have passed, but the work has not been completed. To construct 298 residential units, it was decided to shift traders from the old fish market at Ukkadam to the new market building in Pullukadu, demolish the old market building and build a housing block there, sources said.
Though the evicted people submitted multiple petitions to officials, no action was taken to shift the traders and demolish the old building.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said, “We have sent a proposal to the government in this regard. I’ve spoken with the chief secretary regarding this matter. He has given some suggestions. We are waiting for a GO to proceed further.”