Officials of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board and Madurai Corporation, on Tuesday, removed 146 huts put up on the side of Fifty Feet Road along the Kiruthumal Channel near South Gate police station.
Board Executive Engineer Rm. Mohan and Corporation Chief Town Planning Officer M. Rakkappan led the eviction during which earthmovers razed down houses that had encroached upon the odai poromboke and also part of the Fifty Feet Road. A huge posse of police, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police J. Dorairaj were present. “The road has been reduced by at least 30 feet by the encroachers. They were given adequate time to leave the place and were also issued notices,” Mr. Rakappan said.
Mr. Mohan said that all the 146 families were given dwelling units in the multi-storey flats constructed by the Slum Clearance Board at Rajaakkoor. “The keys of the houses were handed over to them in May. They were asked to immediately occupy the new houses after leaving the encroached space,” he said. However, the residents continued to stay there as they have been buying time to vacate their houses despite the officials having served three notices on them.
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Madurai Corporation, the nodal agency for allotment of houses constructed by the Slum Clearance Board, has identified these people as beneficiaries for the free houses at Rajaakkoor constructed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Already around 70 other families have occupied the houses there, Mr. Mohan said.