The Hindu : Kerala / Kollam News : Drive to clear encroachments leads to tension

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 13, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kollam

Drive to clear encroachments leads to tension

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, SEPT. 12. Tension prevailed in the city this morning when the Public Works Department (PWD) officers backed by the police took up a drive to clear encroachments along the sides of the Asramam Maidan up to the Shankar Hospital Junction road. In all, 17 houses and 11 shops were pulled down in the operation.

The residents of the hutments, comprising a good number of women and children, tried in vain to obstruct the officials from carrying out the operation.

The Kollam MLA and Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran, who rushed to the scene was seen engaged in heated arguments with the PWD officers.

The Kollam Mayor, Sabida Beegum, the CPI(M) district committee secretary, K. Rajagopal, and several Corporation councillors also rushed to the rescue of those evicted. However, the PWD officers expressed helplessness as the road had to be developed to accommodate the growing traffic demands in the city.

They said they had received orders to that effect. The encroachments stood on PWD puramboke land.

Families shifted

Later, Mr. Divakaran held an emergency meeting with the District Collector, B. Sreenivas, other top officers of the district, Corporation councillors and the representatives of the evicted persons, where it was decided to shift the evicted families to the Mulamkadakam Relief Camp in the city.

Within six months, the City Corporation would allocate three cents of land to each of the 13 families.

The District Collector has announced one week's free ration and other emergency help to the families.

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