VIZAG : “A few individuals, who have their own agenda, are trying to mislead the residents of Indira Gandhi Nagar slum and thereby depriving them of a chance to enjoy better living conditions,” Mayor P. Janardhana Rao and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Commissioner (GVMC) B. Ramanjaneyulu said at a media conference on Friday.
Describing the incidents that occurred at the GVMC office during the past few days as “unfortunate,” Mr. Ramanjaneyulu took exception to the protesters destroying public property and beating up the police. It was for this reason that the Municipal Council adopted a resolution seeking registering of police cases against those responsible for the attack.
He said four persons who instigated the slum-dwellers were identified.
Similarly, cases had also been registered against all those who participated in the attack either due to lack of understanding of the situation or otherwise.
NOTIFICATION
He said some ‘self-styled champions' of the downtrodden were now trying to divert the issue.
Mr. Ramanjaneyulu said the GVMC had issued a notification way back on February 18, 1988, and again on September 20, 1990, for the development of the Indira Gandhi Nagar slum, which was located on a 1,200 square yard private site.
The land owners Gangji Ketha, Sunkara Jagga Rao, and Suryaprakasa Rao approached the High Court challenging the notification.
The court, in its rulings in February and July, 1999, upheld the plea of the owners and dismissed the notification issued by the corporation.
Subsequently, the slum-dwellers appealed for allotment of alternative houses, and houses were constructed for them at Gnanapuram.
Though the buildings were inaugurated on September 19, 2003, they were not allotted to the beneficiaries of Indira Gandhi Nagar and Sebastian Colony. In 2008, the residents appealed to SC/ST Commission Chairman M. Nagarjuna and subsequently the former Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, seeking allotment of houses.
In June 2009, a decision was taken to allot the houses to the 73 families of Indira Gandhi Nagar.
The beneficiaries refused to shift to Gnanapuram as the houses were constructed in a low-lying area and sought allotment of houses at Bakkannapalem. In June 2010, they were allotted houses at Bakkannapalem and IRIS cards were issued to 42 beneficiaries who came forward to take them.
Mr. Ramanjaneyulu said it was on the plea of the Indira Gandhi Nagar residents that the High Court had directed the GVMC to complete the allotment and shifting of the beneficiaries to Bakkannapalem by October 2011.
Taking strong exception to vested interests trying to create problems in the shifting process, he warned of stern action against those who resort to such action.
