Special Correspondent
Kochi: The city Corporation has informed the Kerala High Court that it is waiting for central aid for rehabilitation of those living on encroachments on the Peranadoor canal in the city.
In a statement seeking to extend the deadline for evicting the encroachers, the Corporation said that in the second reach (Sahodaran Ayyapan Road to Udaya Nagar), there were 95 encroachments. The corporation had prepared a project, estimated at Rs. 3.17 crore, for rehabilitation at Mundamveli.
The statement said the cost of construction of one unit of a cluster for the evictees required at least Rs. 1.12 lakh. To implement the project, the Corporation had already mobilised Rs. 28 lakh (own fund) and the balance was to be met from a centrally sponsored programme for the uplift of the poor under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. A part payment was expected from the Central Government fund immediately.
Moreover, the Corporation was exploring the possibility of making available money from the Plan fund for 2007-08. It was submitted that if the encroachers were evicted without rehabilitation, they would be thrown to the streets. If eviction was immediately conducted, they would be put to untold miseries.
The statement said these people had been occupying the land in small huts for 30 to 40 years. A sudden eviction without rehabilitation would be detrimental to their lives.
