CHENNAI: Seven years after their original homes were demolished here, nearly 70 residents of Meenambal Sivaraj Nagar near Basin Bridge staged a road roko on Wednesday, urging the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) to immediately hand over the newly constructed tenements.
The protest comes after an alleged delay in the inauguration of the houses despite the construction being completed and tokens issued to eligible families last year.
Residents claim that the only thing preventing them from moving in is the pending formal inauguration by Chief Minister M K Stalin. In the meantime, they say they are burdened with rising rents.
According to the protesters, their families have lived in the area for six generations, originally in huts. In 1974, under then chief minister M Karunanidhi, 176 families were allotted houses under TNUHDB. Over time, the population in the area grew to accommodate over 230 families.
In 2019, during the previous AIADMK government, the dilapidated buildings were demolished, and families were given temporary allotment orders for the new tenement along with a one-time ex gratia payment of Rs 8,000. They were assured that new homes would be ready within two years.
The project to construct 308 homes (Stilt+11-storeys) was awarded to a private contractor in 2020 at an estimated cost of Rs 40.14 crore, with a deadline of 18 months. However, construction was only completed in 2024. Despite the distribution of tokens last year, residents have not been permitted to move in.
“We were told the chief minister would inaugurate the project in March, on his birthday. When that didn’t happen, they said it would happen in June on former CM Karunanidhi’s birthday.
But that too didn’t materialise,” said G Dilip Kumar (32), one of the protesters. “We are daily wage workers. Paying rent has become a burden and some families have started sleeping on platforms. A simple inauguration is all we ask for.”
Protesters said that the original residents in the locality have been asked to pay Rs 65,000 towards beneficiary contribution to TNUHDB and those who started living there later have been asked to pay Rs 1 lakh for the new houses. But, those in the Rs 1 lakh category have access to housing loans, while the others are expected to pay the entire amount in single payment, added protesters.
“We are willing to pay, but give us the option to do it in instalments,” said a resident. “Most of us have pending rents and we cannot afford to pay the sum at once.” A TNUHDB official, when contacted, said,
“The Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the project’s completion, and recently, some of the earlier-installed wiring was stolen, and we are installing it again. We expected the inauguration to happen in March, but it didn’t happen. We will try to have it within this month.”
On the issue of beneficiary payments, the official added, “Those paying Rs 65,000 are ineligible for loans as the minimum amount for availing of loans is Rs 1 lakh. However, we will explore instalment options, and a decision is likely during the inauguration.”