For the second time in the last 10 days, the administration on Wednesday was unable to evict a group of fishermen who dry fish in the Kasimedu harbour area, just a few yards from the zero gate of the Chennai Port Trust. Their shops are to be removed to make way for widening the road leading to Chennai Port Trust’s zero gate, under the Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP)
The delay in evicting the group from the site they have ‘encroached upon’ has caused anxiety among the main stakeholders of EMRIP, as they fear a further delay in the project’s completion.
Sources said the eviction could not take place on Wednesday as senior police officials felt that they did not have enough numbers to embark on the exercise. They said they needed at least 500 personnel and that the eviction could be carried out only on weekends, and sought time till August 4.
Having issued allotment letters to 120 fishermen for the newly-built fishing stalls, Chennai Port Trust officials said, “This is nothing but backstabbing. While accepting the allotment letters, these fishermen said they would vacate by the first week of July. Now, they are demanding not be disturbed and that an elevated road should be constructed for easy transportation.”
Meanwhile, a group of people met ChPT chairman Atulya Misra and sought his intervention so that their daily routine was not affected due to the eviction drive.
Upset over the development, port users said, “It is time that the Speaker D. Jayakumar, who represents the Royapuram Constituency, explains his stance on this issue clearly. While the fishermen give assurances to Mr. Jayakumar during the interactions, they go back on their words when he is away.”
Sources in the Highways Department sought the immediate intervention of the State government to complete the project on time and said it would otherwise end up near Tondiarpet and would not serve any purpose to the EXIM trade.
