Residents in Tamil Nadu's Panruti await basic amenities and patta

Over 77 families were evicted from the lands of Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) in Cuddalore since the 2015 floods and cyclone.
Women line up for collecting water in Panruti. (Photo| EPS)
Women line up for collecting water in Panruti. (Photo| EPS)

CUDDALORE: More than 100 SC families still wait for their land pattas and for proper basic amenities for their residential area near Panruti taluk in Cuddalore.

Over 77 families were evicted from the lands of Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) in Cuddalore since the 2015 floods and cyclone. At least 36 families were shifted from the land in 2015, after they were affected by floods as the NLC mines pumped their waters into the nearby areas, resulting in inundation and land slides in the settlement.

NLCIL had already proposed for these families to shift to another place, and citing flood as a reason, their houses were demolished and they were shifted to a relief camp in a government school, located in 24th Block in NLCIL in October 2015.

Meanwhile, the families were asked to vacate the school in December 2015, following which the 36 families demanded the district administration to allocate plots to them in a land located near Kadampuliyur Samathuvapuram near Panruti taluk. They finally shifted to the plots in Kadampuliyur Samathuvapuram and renamed the new settlement as Raja Ganapathi Nagar.

In March 2016, more 41 families from Paalpannai of Nevali were also evicted from the NLCIL land and they too settled in Raja Ganapathi Nagar.

"For those residents, the new location is 15km away from the previous location. Most of the women in this settlement were domestic helps working in the houses located inside Neyveli Quarters, and hence they lost their jobs when they shifted to the new location," said S Amirthavalli of Rural Organization for Action and Development (ROAD).

A joint report by Amirthavalli and Vanessa Peter from Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Community stated, "Apart from them, 71 families from other area, who didn't have a place to stay also resettled to Raja Ganapathi Nagar before 2020, after they sent a application to the government."

Resident of Raja Ganapathi Nagar, S Kasinathan told The New Indian Express, "We are struggling to get land patta and basic amenities since the day we shifted here."

The residents said that six taps were fixed in a single spot in the area a few months back, and they get water in alternate days, which is insufficient for the 148 families residing there. They also said that there are no proper toilet and drainage facilities in the area, and even though they had filed several petitions, no action has been taken on this issue so far.

Kasinathan said,"Nomination patta were given to 64 and patta were given to 23 people. But, most of them came and settled here after 2021, while people settled here since 2015 are still struggling to get patta."

The residents said that few years back, Tamil Nadu slum clearance board demolished some houses in the locality, as part of the construction of a residential building.

The residents alleged that the people whose houses were demolished, were not provided proper compensation for the houses, for the construction of which they spent upto Rs 50,000 and some people are even paying interest for the house even to this day.

So now, most of the people hesitate to construct a new house without a proper patta.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior official from Panruti taluk office said, "Patta request petitions have been sent to the Revenue department officials of the respective areas for verification and pattas are being issued one by one after proper verification."

He added even some non-residents of that area have applied for patta, due to which, the verification process is getting delayed. Regarding the basic amenities, he said, "Already works have started for drinking water supply and other facilities will be arranged, after patta is issued to them."

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