Ranipet units seek patta for SIDCO lands

Speaking to DT Next, association president R Amirthakatesan said, “We have approached the Collector when Ranipet was part of Vellore district and SIDCO officials in Chennai for this facility, but nothing has moved despite their assurances.”

Association secretary L Gandhijothi said, “Ranipet SIDCO industrial estate is 49-years-old. Though all unit holders were given sale deeds when we purchased the land, provision of ‘pattas’ has been eluding us till date. Banks do not accept sale deeds as proof of land ownership to give loans and demand only pattas.”

Reiterating this, Amithakatesan added, “If we were on private land, lack of ‘pattas’ would have led to problems as the owner could sell the site without the knowledge of the occupants. 

We escaped this plight as we were on government land. When banks ask us for ‘pattas’ for granting loans, we tell them that we will give it later and that is how all units inside this estate have been functioning for the last five decades.”

Stating that all SIDCO estates in TN were functioning under similar constraints, Gandhi said, “When we sign the sale deed in the registrar’s office we also automatically sign a transfer form under which the ‘pattas’ should be transferred to our names by the revenue department, But, in the last five decades, this has not happened despite a specific court order in 1985.”

They now worry  that the town planning department would verify the land ownership documents and lack of ‘patta’ would create unnecessary hassles.