Ever since the Central government notification came five years ago on the protection of certain monuments of public importance and the subsequent regulation on building activity around them, people in the city’s southern suburbs have been waging a non-stop battle, demanding that the notification be revoked.
Residents say they continue to suffer as the stalemate still persists following the notification of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act (AMASR) 2010. At a meeting organised by Struggle Committee of Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram on Saturday, members expressed angst about the notification, saying they were unable to develop or sell their property.
“It has been almost five years since the construction and repair work in residential areas under Sembakkam and Pallavaram municipalities came to a halt owing to this new rule. We passed a resolution seeking the State government’s intervention in resolving this issue at the earliest,” said V. Santhanam, federation president.
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Following the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) notification, local bodies received a circular on regulation of construction activity around the monuments. While some of them included ancient temples and other monuments, people are confused about the term “megalithic cairns and cists showing clear structural postres.” No government agency till now had come forward to clarify on what the term meant, they said.
Members of civic groups have welcomed initiatives by Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha MP K.N. Ramachandran; Animal Husbandry Minister T.K.M. Chinnaiyya and the Kancheepuram district administration to issue pattas (land-ownership documents) under survey number 56 (regulated area). At the same time, they also want the State government to apply pressure on the Union government to withdraw the amendment in the AMASR Act.
They also said that after the issue was raised by Mr. Ramachandran in Parliament, the struggle committee members met Shripad Yesso Naik, the then Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, and top officials of the ASI in New Delhi in October last, seeking re-examination of the ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC). More recently, Sembakkam Region Residents’ Welfare Association met Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma and submitted their case.
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“I have briefed the Minister about the problems faced by more than one lakh people in these regions and the necessity of withdrawing such notifications in the interest of the residents. Necessary orders from the ASI to alleviate the sufferings of the people are expected soon,” Mr. Ramachandran told The Hindu .