The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Railway track work only after rehabilitating slum-dwellers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 25, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Railway track work only after rehabilitating slum-dwellers

Special Correspondent

"No citizen will be affected by airport expansion"

CHENNAI: The Chief Minister will ensure that alternative accommodation is provided to people displaced by the proposed third Athipattu railway track, Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy informed the Assembly on Thursday.

Replying to a calling attention motion tabled by P.K. Sekar Babu (AIADMK) and D. Sudarsanam (Congress), Mr. Veerasamy said work on the track would be taken up only after the slum-dwellers living in the area were rehabilitated.

He said after the Railways served notice on the slum dwellers, North Chennai MP C. Kuppusamy, met Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and sought time. Later, an extension of time was sought. This was granted by the Union Minister. There were about 750 families in the area and they had also appealed to the Chief Minister.

Mr. Sudarsanam said the slum-dwellers were living there for more than 40 years. Mr. Sekar Babu wanted the Government to give them Slum Board apartments at Bharati Nagar.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said no citizen would be affected by the expansion of the Chennai airport. The Government and the Civil Aviation Ministry was looking at ways to complete the expansion without affecting ordinary people in the neighbourhood, he said in reply to a calling attention motion tabled by V. Sivapunniyam (CPI). The member said that more than 25,000 people live in the neighbourhood and there were many educational institutions in its vicinity. He wanted the Government to ensure that expansion was carried out without displacing the people.

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