Stop relocating urban poor to faraway places: CPI(M)

Non-availability of land cannot be the reason: Balakrishnan

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary, K. Balakrishnan, on Wednesday said eviction of poor people and resettling them at faraway places should henceforth be stopped.

Addressing a meeting at the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board’s (TNUHDB) tenements in K.P. Park in Pulianthope here, he said non-availability of land within the city could not be cited as the reason for resettling families outside the city.

The meeting was organised to honour 178 families from Sathyavani Muthu Nagar which were allocated houses at K.P. Park after a struggle for two years spearheaded by the CPI(M). These were among the 2,092 families living along the Cooum at Sathyavani Muthu Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Indra Gandhi Nagar, who were evicted in 2020. While the other families were resettled in Perumbakkam, these 178 families continued to fight for allocation of houses within the city.

Mr. Balakrishnan blamed the previous AIADMK government for the plight of the families. Thanking the present government for allocating houses to the 178 families in K.P. Park, he said land for housing the poor could always be found if there was intent. He pointed out that the vast area in places such as the Race Course in Guindy could be utilised for constructing houses for the poor as they were not being extensively used.

G. Selva, CPI(M) Chennai central unit secretary, lauded the determination shown by the families despite vested interests trying to tarnish the image of the CPI(M) and misleading the families that their fight was futile.

S. Venkatesh, who belonged to one of the 178 families, thanked the CPI(M) for standing with them. He appealed to the families to foster a sense of belonging with others residing at K.P. Park and keep the premises clean.

P. Sampath, CPI(M) central committee member, spoke.