R. ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, NOV 2
Residents of Peters Colony – Tamil Nadu Government Employees Rental Housing Scheme (TNGERHS) – observed a “Candle Light Vigil’’ and vowed to save the green campus here on Monday.
Over 150 residents, including women and children, observed the “Candle Light Vigil’’ to save Mother Nature following Covid-19 safety protocols. The colony sprawling over 3 and a half acres with 346 flats has over 180 healthy and grown up trees giving green cover to the colony by supplying pure air to the residents and surrounding areas.
The green pastures around the colony are also considered to be a lung space for the bustling city as Chennai is the second most polluted city next to the national capital New Delhi.
DMK Chepauk Constituency Secretary Madhan Mohan inaugurated the “Candle Light Vigil ‘’ and spoke at length on the importance of guarding the green cover in Singara Chennai. Mohan flayed the bid to wipe out this important green cover.
Residents raised slogans to stress the importance of saving the green campus from the evil designs of the Government of Tamil Nadu to race it down for construction of a 20 -floor multi-storey shopping mall.
Remembering Our Puratchi Thalaivi Amma's historic quote today. pic.twitter.com/F4ZeMcTQzo
— AIADMK – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@AIADMKOfficial) October 24, 2019
All the participants appealed to the state government which is claiming to follow the golden rule of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s “Makkalukkagave Naan, Makkalal Naan’’ slogan to allow them to reside peacefully without any torture or arm-twisting activities of the TNHB officials.
Earlier in the day, over 25 officials, including two Chief Engineers, a Superintending Engineer, and Executive Engineers stormed into the colony with a bull-dozer at around 7 am to raze the flats along with its occupants. However, their inhumane act was thwarted by the members of the Residents Welfare Association which led to an altercation.
Police come to the rescue of residents
As the situation became tense, Assistant Commissioner of Police Saravanan, on the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner of Police Dharmarajan, reached the spot and convinced the residents and officials. Later, true to the tagline –Police Department is your friend– the ACP invited the TNHB officials and the office-bearers of the Residents Welfare Association to his office on Wallajah Road to sort out the problem amicably. Armed with the suo moto interim order of the Madras High Court not to indulge in any type of eviction activities across the state amidst corona till November 4, the Assistant Commissioner instructed the TNHB officials not to undertake any soil testing or drilling activities to instill confidence among the residents.
Meanwhile, a host of writ petitions filed by the residents pleading to allow them to stay at the colony till the current academic year is expected to come up on Tuesday (November 3, 2020) before the Madras High Court, said the associtaion secretary.
Earlier on Sunday, it was resolved to thwart the move of the TNHB from evicting the residents which saw the participation of 150 residents. Special invitees for the meeting were . D.S.R. Subash, State President, Tamil Nadu Union of Journalists, and Damodaran, Chepauk Constituency Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
