CHENNAI: More than 35 years after the government acquired residential plots in Tesco Layout in Sholinganallur – the city’s IT corridor – 178 families who owned the land are now demanding the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) to return their plots as the compensation of `11,250 per ground, announced in 2024, is manifold less than the prevailing guideline and market value. TNHB has now taken over the land for a housing project under Sholinganallur phase III neighbourhood housing scheme.
P Antony Sami, one such plot owner, said the notification for acquisition to acquire 10 acres from the plot owners was issued in 1993. “But, the details of the intended acquisition were not even recorded in the sub-registrar office until 2010. During the period, second sales have occurred in some cases. Now, families that purchased the plots from the original owners are also suffering,” he said.
Antony added that the owners bought the plots at `10,000 per ground in 1990. After a prolonged legal battle, the Supreme Court in 2010 had directed fair compensation or alternative sites to the owners, from whom TNHB acquired the land.
In 2024, TNHB sent a letter fixing the compensation at Rs 11,250 per ground. “The market value of land in the area has increased by several lakhs during the period. The Supreme Court has directed TNHB to provide fair compensation or alternate plots. But, compensation was fixed at a lower rate. Till now, we have not received any compensation,” he said.
When contacted, a TNHB official said the board developed 1,000 apartments on a part of the land and the remaining land has been earmarked for developing 1,000 apartments. “The board cannot release the land earmarked for future development,” he clarified.
However, R Senthamarai Kannan, another original plot owner, claims the 1,000 apartments were constructed on another survey number and no development has taken place on the survey number of Tesco Layout.
“The 1,000 apartments already constructed remain unsold. Our plots are lying vacant as of now. The government should take measures to return our plots,” he urged Housing and Urban Development Minister B Rajkumar in a petition.
The owners also demanded the government to release the plots under a scheme introduced by the earlier DMK government to return unused land parcels acquired by TNHB to the original owners. However, department sources said that the files to release the land parcels are awaiting clearance from the government. While housing secretary R Kirlosh Kumar refused to comment, a TNHB official claimed that the scheme is continuing.
The previous DMK government released 4,396.44 acres of land involved in decades-old TNHB acquisition proceedings.
The move followed scrutiny of 4,488 petitions submitted by affected landowners. Another 743 acres was under the process of being released, while a committee was formed to examine the release of another 5,700 acres.
