Residents of Kalaignar Nagar led by representatives of the Agila Indiya Samathuva Makkal Katchi on Monday petitioned the district administration seeking removal of encroachments in the area.
The petition said that 80-plus families in the area were living in houses that were constructed with funds obtained under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
The residents used a 37-cent plot that belonged to the government.
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However, a family from the area had fenced the plot, constructed thatched roof houses, let the houses on rent to people who not only did not belong to the area but where also indulging in illegal activities.
Those who resided in the houses also teased the women residents of Kalaignar Nagar, the petitioners alleged.
They urged the district administration to retrieve the encroached land and let the people use the same as they had been doing so for the past 20-odd years.
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The administration should establish a park there for the benefit of the children of the area.
‘Vindictive action’
A section of the employees of a Peelamedu-based private company on Monday petitioned District Collector Archana Patnaik alleging that the management is taking action against those who indulged in trade union activities.
The company manufactured machine parts and spare parts for rice and spinning mills. It has around 60 workers and 100 employees.
Sometime ago 40 workers and 15 employees started a branch of the Bharat Mazdoor Sangh.
The management paid salaries in two sets of covers — for those who were not part of the union and those who were members of the union, the petition said. The management had failed to pay bonus too.
The management had on one pretext or another sent out the office-bearers of the union and placed under suspension the current office-bearers.
Without notice, the management had declared a partial closure of the units and sent out 25 more employees. It did not show enthusiasm in talking to the workers or the union representatives, the petitioners said and sought justice from the district administration.
They added that they had planned to hold a demonstration on Tuesday in Gandhipuram.
Irugur railway gate
Representatives of a host of residents’ welfare associations on Monday petitioned the district administration seeking an alternative route to reach the city from Irugur as the railway gate at Rettaipuliamaram was likely to be closed for development works.
The petition said that the National Highways Department had recently placed a board announcing that the gate at the railway crossing would be closed permanently as the construction of a bridge was to be taken up in the immediate future.
If the department were to close the railway crossing, the residents would be left without an easy alternative route.
School students, office-goers among others would be put to untold hardships as the two other routes to reach the city were at least 5km to 7km longer than the current route.
The residents would be denied of even emergency medical service as the ambulances would not be able to serve the residents of Gandhi Nagar, Sowdeswari Nagar, Indra Nagar, Mahakavi Nagar, Samiyar Medai, Arumugam Avenue and a few other localities by taking the easiest route.
The administration should initiate measures to ensure that the alternative route was in place and only then the road-over bridge work was taken up, the petition said.