KOCHI: The mother of an autistic girl with zero revenue evicted from the space she received to set up shop in Marine Drive following a court order. The Rs 3.25 lakh she spent on it, availed through a bank loan, has also been lost now
“It’s a do-or-die battle for me”, says Prasanna Parthapan, a native of Thanthonnithuruth, who runs a bunk shop in Marine Drive. She is weighed down by many responsibilities like taking care of her family that includes an autistic daughter. To make things worse, the 54-year-old was evicted from her shop, her only source of income, by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) on Thursday.
“I’m at a loss of words. The GCDA officials came in the morning and threw my things out of the bunk shop and sealed it. They didn’t even show the courtesy to wait for me to arrive, and instead, pushed my helper out of the shop. I was shell shocked to see my belongings lying in the puddles outside. I have no other option but to plead for their mercy,” she says, wiping her tears.
Prasanna, who used to sell stationery items on a cart, got the bunk shop following a High Court order. “The court was helping me take care of my autistic daughter. When it ordered street carts and vendors to clear out, GCDA gave me the space to set up my bunk. I took a loan of `3.25 lakh from Canara Bank. Though the court order had mentioned financial support, the GCDA only gave me space. Since then, they have barely tried to show kindness and have been threatening me with eviction for months,” she says.
She even wrote to the GCDA secretary. “I sent the letter on July 15, promising that I will pay the due amount with the monthly rent of Rs 12,000 once the Covid-related restrictions are lifted. There are no customers at the shop now, since nobody visits Marine Drive anymore due to the lockdown. How am I supposed to pay them without revenue?” asks Prasanna.
She has two daughters and several responsibilities on her shoulders. “My day starts helping my younger autistic daughter with her daily routine. My elder daughter recently had an accident and is undergoing treatment for fractures. Her three daughters are also living with us. Apart from these medical expenses, I have to pay the bank loan installment,” Prasanna says.
PROCEDURAL ACTION AFTER HC ORDER, SAYS GCDA
However, GCDA officials seem unmoved by Prasanna’s pleas and justified the eviction as a ‘due legal procedure’. “We allocated the bunk following the High Court-imposed restrictions, on humanitarian grounds, for five years. GCDA had set a monthly rent of I12,000.
Prasanna has not been paying the amount for the last two-and-a-half years. She re-filed a petition in the High Court, which asked GCDA to receive the pending amount of Rs I3 lakh in instalments. She couldn’t even follow that and failed to renew the contract. Unfortunately, she couldn’t capitalise on the business despite getting a prime spot in the city. If GCDA didn’t take action now, we would be answerable in future audits,” said GCDA Chairman V Saleem.