Evicted and resettled years ago, families in Gudapakkam continue to struggle for better quality of life
The Hindu
Evicted and resettled years ago, families in Gudapakkam continue to struggle for better quality of life
Gudapakkam, a village located close to the Tiruvallur High Road, around 13 km from Poonamallee, had a population of only 666 families in 2001, according to the census data.
The demographic profile of this sleepy village, with an adjacent reserve forest, was to dramatically change over the next couple of decades, with an almost four-fold increase in the number of families. The drastic change was not due to a voluntary influx of people, but because the village was made a site for resettlement of families evicted from their encroached dwellings in areas like Porur, Aminjikarai, Ramapuram, Mogappair, Villivakkam and Maduravoyal, all of which are located at least 25 km away.
The first wave of resettlement took place in 2006 when 2,000 families, evicted from near the Porur lake, were allotted small plots of land in a new uninhabited area in the village, christened as Collector Nagar. However, not many moved here because of lack of amenities and livelihood opportunities. Census 2011 showed the number of families had nearly doubled to 1,275 from 2001.
In 2014, the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) built over 1,000 apartment units in another area in the village. In the next two to three years, all these units were filled with resettled families. They included more than 150 families of Sri Lankan repatriates.
Kalyani*, whose family was moved from Maduravoyal six years ago, says it appears the clock had been reset in their journey towards socio-economic progress. “We were beginning to lead a settled life in Maduravoyal with our children in school and a steady income. The eviction and resettlement, all of a sudden one day, destabilised us,” she says.
Like her, many resettled families feel that the resettlement has made it difficult for them to access healthcare, employment and education. Transport tops the list of problems of the residents of these apartments.
The majority of the population, especially women, commute to places near where they had lived earlier for employment. They worked as home helps and daily-wagers. Though the number of industries has increased in Poonamallee and nearby areas, these people say many are unable to find employment there.
No room for complacency till counting is completed, Chandrababu Naidu tells TDP-BJP-JSP contestants. The TDP-BJP-JSP alliance will register a comfortable victory in the general elections over the YSRCP, he says. Alleging that the YSRCP has conspired to create disturbances on the counting day, the TDP national president advises the chief counting agents and their teams to see to it that the officials adhere to norms related to counting.