Scores of residents of Thevar Nagar and Netaji Nagar in Vandiyur thronged the Collectorate here on Monday, seeking alternative housing accommodation as Public Works Department officials have proposed to evict people in about 300 dwelling units along the Vaigai bank.
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Claiming that they had been living along the northern riverbank for nearly four decades, they said that it was former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran who had converted their thatched-roof huts into tiled-roof houses through Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board.
Besides, all facilities like primary health centre, noon-meal centre, electricity connection, cement road, toilet facility, ration card and Aadhaar card were provided to them one after the other over the years.
Similarly, the residents were paying property tax till date, the petitioners said. They had sought pattas for their lands in 2007. However, in 2018 the PWD officials and Revenue Department officials proposed to evict them.
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The residents claimed that they belonged to the lower economic stratum and they did not have the wherewithal to find alternative housing accommodation.
Stating that the previous Collector had recommended to the officials for providing them house sites in Sakkimangalam, the petitioners complained that no action had been taken so far on this issue.
They appealed to Collector T. Anbalagan to provide house sites to them so that they could move from Vandiyur.