Hyderabad, February 15: Residents of Singareni Colony in Saidabad clashed with police and launched impromptu demonstrations opposing the district administration’s move to evict them forcibly on Monday. However, by use of sheer force, authorities evicted as many as 451 families by evening.
There were several spells of protests and arguments between revenue authorities and the slum dwellers. As large contingents of police intervened to assist the authorities, stones were hurled at them. Chaos ensued after unknown miscreants set some huts afire. Evictees blamed it on police and the latter paid it back. Six fire extinguishers were eventually pressed into service to handle the situation.
Slum dwellers said the demolition squads swooped down around 5.30 a.m. Barely, after a couple of officials made rounds of the colony alerting the residents to vacate the plot, the demolitions began. No prior notice was served, they claimed.
“Officials said it was announced in newspapers, but we being illiterate, were not aware of it. Early in the morning, power was disconnected and demolition work began, leaving scarcely any time for us to pack,” said G.Venkatesh, an evictee.
The piece of land, 4.1 acres in extent, was part of the 25 acres of surplus land bought by the Roudri Co-operative Housing Society, Saidabad, and regularised by the Revenue Department after the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Repeal Act came into force. Though court cases were filed against the regularisation, they were dismissed in favour of the society. The eviction was taken up in accordance with the assurance of the district Collector in 2006, in lieu of the seven acres of land surrendered by the society for the VAMBAY houses.
Joint Collector Smita Sabharwal said that two rounds of consultations were held with the slum dwellers and that the latter knew about their possible eviction. “We have an undertaking from the encroachers that they would move to the alternative site at Nandanavanam Colony near Karmanghat. We have already issued identification slips to 367 beneficiaries eligible for possession certificate for the JNNURM houses to be constructed,” she informed.
Local residents of Nandanavanam vehemently refused to give up the land and evictees who obliged by moving their belongings to the location found themselves high and dry on roads.
“It has not been even a month since the Collector promised us a high school in this plot. Hundreds of hut dwellers are already staying here in anticipation of proper housing. The area lacks in sanitation facilities, and cannot accommodate more people,” said N.Srinivas Yadav, the Bharateeya Janata Yuva Morcha convenor of L.B.Nagar Constituency.
“We volunteered to move to Nandanavanam only upon the provision of proper drinking water, sanitation, security and power, none of which has been addressed. The local people objected earlier too, but officials promised to convince them,” alleged Sreenu Nayak, an evictee.
-Agencies