TIRUPPUR: Thirty years have passed since the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) purchased land belonging to HR&CE department for distribution to Dalits, but the land registration is yet to be completed.
TAHDCO (Tiruppur) manager T Ranjit Kumar said, “ In 1993, TAHDCO transferred Rs 33.90 lakh to HR & CE department to buy a land parcel measuring 45.2 acres near the SIDCO estate. This land was selected for allocation for the creation of a shed and facilities for SC entrepreneurs."
"However, there is no registration or sale deed. In the early 2000s, an official from TAHDCO (Coimbatore) wrote to the HR & CE department seeking registration of the property. But officials delayed it saying the records have to be verified. Even after several reminders, no action was taken.”
Speaking to TNIE, John Samuel, an activist, said, “The long delay is a big loss for entrepreneurs. The early 1990s was a booming period for the banian industry and garment exports were slowly picking up. Young entrepreneurs could have gained a lot. But, procedural delays have hampered the economic growth of SC entrepreneurs in Tiruppur district.”
When contacted, an official in the HR & CE department said, “We don’t blame anyone on the issue. The new division of Tiruppur for the HR&CE department was carved from Coimbatore and Karur, in 2020. When the issue was brought to our notice by TAHDCO, we found out that all records from Coimbatore were transferred to the Chennai office. We informed them and brought back the land records to Tiruppur city recently.”
He added, “We have informed the Commissioner of HR&CE department about the problem and we will get the sale deed written and registered for TAHDCO soon.”