Officials collect ID proofs of 387 families to be evicted under the Cooum Restoration Project
CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation officials of Annanagar zone, on Thursday, along with officials of other State government agencies, began collecting original identity proofs of 387 families of PP Garden at Aminjikarai, who are set to be evicted under the Cooum Restoration Project, in batches.
While officials claimed that the documents would be returned at the time of issuing the allotment order for new houses, it is unclear as to what procedural guidelines demanded residents to produce the original documents.
According to a corporation official, the documents are collected to verify details of residents before the allotments are issued. As on Thursday evening, officials had collected the original identity proofs of 30 families. However, usually, at the camps set up at eviction sites, original documents are used for verification and returned then and there.
“It is only for tonight when the eviction process resumes in the morning, we will hand it over to them before they leave for Perumbakkam,” said the official.
When asked who would be held accountable if the original documents are misplaced, the official said that there was no chance for it since the documents are duly numbered and stored safely.
“Power supply was disconnected in the morning and as the night sets in, we are fretting because they cannot stay here with their kids and have to leave to their new houses as soon as possible. So whatever is demanded by the officials are given without resistance,” said Jeeva, a resident.
On Thursday, 70 families were resettled at Perumbakkam.
The lack of uniformity in the procedures followed by zonal officials, as far as evictions were concerned, was also evident in other ways. While residents of NSK Nagar and other localities who were evicted before PP gardens, received a ‘notice’ with the name of the allottee, allotment number accompanied by a corporation seal and the signature of corporation officials, residents of PP gardens claimed to have received no such communication.
As is the case in other localities, a few residents of PP Nagar also claimed to have been left out without receiving allotments yet.
“I stay with my daughter and her two boys. Since the power is disconnected, how can we stay here in the night with our children,” asked Vijaya, a resident.
Women like Vijaya of PP Nagar, who were yet to receive allotments will be housed in the nearby corporation shelters for urban homeless, said a Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT) official. However, men would have to spend the night at a local school since the homeless shelters accommodated only women.
Meanwhile, the eviction process came to a brief halt after a boundary dispute between the Public Works Department (PWD) and some residents before resuming later in the evening.
“The officials were removing some houses that do not come within the boundary. So we intervened to support the residents,” Mohan MK, MLA of Anna Nagar, told Express.
However, the CRRT official said there was no question of changes in the boundary definition.
“If the boundaries weren’t clear we would not be able to do biometric enumeration in the past- latest was in 2017 and also in 2016 and after the 2015 floods. So, the boundaries are clearly demarcated and the houses are removed accordingly,” the official said.