Activists warn of contempt, stop new bus stand construction in Pernambut

The shifting of Pernambut bus stand due to lack of space was mired in controversy when three local residents came forward to donate 1 acre at Sathagar. The local body accepted the private land even though government land was available right across the road from the donated site..

Things took a serious turn when some persons, with alleged links to Commercial Taxes Minister KC Veeramani, informed the local body that they would build the bus stand on their own and unloaded construction materials at the site last Sunday.

On information, the bus stand retrieval committee led by town Congress president G Suresh Kumar immediately alerted Municipal Commissioner D Nithyanandam that such a move would attract contempt of court as a case against the donated site was still pending in the High Court.

While Commissioner Nithyanandam informed Suresh Kumar that work had been stopped, the latter filed an RTI query seeking to know how the local body allowed private persons to build the facility on its land, who approved it and under what rules. Meanwhile, a senior municipal staff has rushed to Chennai to seek legal opinion on the matter.

Meanwhile, Suresh Kumar also took up the matter with Regional Director of Municipal Administration (RDMA), Vellore, who replied that he would look into the matter.

Retrieval committee secretary Mutharasan told DT Next, “We became suspicious at the undue haste shown by the local body in agreeing to private persons’ proposal to build the bus stand. Enquiries reveal that those persons had a layout with numerous plots for which they were paid advances. The plots were sold on the basis of being adjacent to the new bus stand. Buyers reportedly stated that they would register their lands once the bus stand became operational.”

“It is to ensure this that the builders want to construct the bus stand on their own,” alleged Nattamakar Akbar Basha.