Tamil Nadu   

“Vacant municipal lands have become soft targets for land grabbers”

KANCHEEPURAM: Vacant municipal lands in Kancheepuram have become soft targets for land grabbers as the officials hesitate to execute the chairman’s directions to prevent such activities, according to V. Rajendran, Municipal Chairman.

He made this remark when a resolution forwarded by him seeking the council’s consent to intensify the drive against encroachments was tabled at the council meeting held here on Tuesday.

When the resolution came up for discussion, Congress councillor Kuppan wanted to know what made the chairman move such a resolution. Mr. Rajendran said that he had received complaints of encroachment in several wards.

“For instance, I came to know that a part of the municipal land had been encroached upon by a person in Ward no.5 and I immediately directed the officials to reclaim the possession, but in vain. The officials informed me that the encroacher had obtained a stay order against eviction. In another case, they changed their stance immediately after attending a phone call from an ‘invisible authority’ and pleaded helplessness. I do not know anything about the person who was commanding such a ‘respect’ from civic body staff and could prevent them from executing their duties over phone,” he said.

Mr. Kuppan refused to accept Mr. Rajendran’s explanation, saying that the Supreme Court had recently issued an order stating that lower courts could not grant stay orders preventing the officials from removing encroachments. “I have a copy of the apex court order,” he said.

At this juncture, civic body officials intervened, saying that they were not able to initiate action against the encroachers as their petitions against eviction had been numbered in the court of law.

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