‘Decision on 100-yr-old Tiruvallur park after evaluating land docus’

CHENNAI: With several complaints raised over the demolition of the 100-year-old Rajammal Devi Park located on CV Naidu Road in Tiruvallur and the construction of a commercial complex, the District Collector M Prathap, on Sunday, said that the documents of land on which the park is situated would be evaluated.

The necessary steps would be taken after evaluating the land documents, he added.

The park holds an emotional significance for the residents of Tiruvallur. Residents recount that the land where the park was situated was given to the municipality by a resident, C Venkatachalapathy Naidu, to construct a park in the name of his wife Rajammal Devi for the benefit of the people of the area.

The municipal administration built the Rajammal Devi Park for the use of the general public, and it has been spending several lakhs of rupees in the last few years to maintain the park.

Nithyanandam, a septuagenarian, reminisces about his childhood in the park and says that he expects that the park would be restored for the kids in the area.

“The current municipal administration is illegally disposing of the 50-year-old trees, plants, and sports equipment in the said park. In violation of the law and without passing any resolution of the city council, it is constructing a commercial complex. The Municipal authorities are working toward the speedy completion of the commercial complex regardless of the objections raised by the public,” said S Gopal, the district secretary of CPM, in a letter written to the Tiruvallur District Collector.

“Even after filing several complaints to different authorities, no action has been taken, and work is progressing. Almost 80 per cent of the works have been completed,” said B Sundararajan, a resident in the area.