People for India-Visakhapatnam Forum president and former Vice Chancellor of Andhra University K.V. Ramana has observed that the GVMC officials were only to blame for the clash that ensued while they tried to shift slum dwellers in the city recently.
Addressing a round table organised by PFI on Saturday, Prof. Ramana said it was not right to drive away slum dwellers from the city while several traders and political leaders indulged in land grabbing in the city. In fact, the role of slum dwellers in the development of the city was crucial, he said.
PFI vice-president B.L. Narayana said it was not proper to shift slum dwellers in Omkar Nagar and Sevanagar to far off places like Kommadi and Bakkannapalem. “According to the draft policy, the slums should be developed in site whether it was private land or government land. The government should acquire the land according to law, provide property right to the slum dwellers and develop the colonies. In case, there was no alternative except to shift them, they should be rehabilitated at place closest to their original place of resident and provided facilities like drinking water, power, education and health, transport and bank loans,” he said.
Pendurthi labour colony welfare association president G. Appalaraju, Indiranagar Colony association president T. Suramma, Kula Vivaksha Vyatireka Porata Samithi leader RP Raju, ASR Nagar Welfare Association president Gowrish, and ICEU general secretary N. Ramanachalamdecried the move to evict slum dwellers in the city.
PFI convenor B.B. Ganesh summed up the proceedings and proposed a resolution which was adopted unanimously.
