The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Issue pattas to people living on banks of water courses: CPI(M)

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Tuesday, Oct 07, 2008
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Issue pattas to people living on banks of water courses: CPI(M)

Special Correspondent

Party delegation led by N. Varadarajan calls on Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday demanded that the State government issue pattas to those who have been living on the banks of water courses in Chennai and areas of water bodies that have dried up. It also sought pattas, free of cost, to those who have been residing on temple lands, and expediting the scheme of distributing pattas free.

A delegation, headed by party’s State unit secretary N. Varadarajan, called on Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at the Secretariat and presented representations.

Those water bodies located in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, and which have become defunct, should be identified and the government should declare them residential colonies. The administration should withdraw its decision notifying those living on such water bodies as encroachers, the party said.

In another representation, the party submitted that steps should be taken to arrest the pollution of the city water courses. If settlements blocked the formation of banks for the city water courses, they should be removed after providing alternative sites to people concerned and constructing multi-storeyed tenements. Such sites should be close to the old settlements.

The CPI (M) said the government should withdraw its decision to collect rent arrears from occupants of temple lands. It must acquire the lands and distribute them free to economically weaker sections of society and other sections at a reasonable price.

The party also said the government should acquire land belonging to wakf boards and churches where the poor were residing, and give them deeds free of cost.

Free pattas, which could be issued on lands that the Chennai Collectorate, the Chennai Corporation and other government agencies had set apart, should be issued immediately. Instead of giving the land deeds in instalments, steps should be taken to give them within a particular timeframe.

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