Encroachments evicted

TIRUNELVELI

Twenty-seven houses that had been built on the government land near Sivan Temple Tank in Palayamkottai were removed on Tuesday with police protection.

More than 30 families that were residing in Ambikapathi Street and Emperumaan Street near Sivan Temple Tank in Palayamkottai for more than 50 years were facing eviction since the land on which these houses had been constructed belonged to Department of Revenue. As steps were taken to evict the encroachments even as the residents facing eviction, they petitioned the Collector seeking alternative house sites.

They also approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court for a possible legal remedy that went in vain.

When the district administration and the Corporation served notices recently to these families asking them to vacate their houses within a week, some of the families threatened to shift their residences to the Collectorate premises. However, the protest ended within a few minutes as the officials informed them that alternative site would be given to them.

On Tuesday morning, the Corporation and the revenue officials started the eviction drive with heavy equipments in which 27 houses were brought down with police protection even as the affected families were in tears.