Wall blocking way to Dalit colony demolished in Kovai

Coimbatore

The TPDK, in a petition to District Collector on Saturday alleged that a real estate promoter had developed the wall a few months ago by blocking the public pathway to Kondasamy Nagar, a Dalit settlement in Pannimadai.

The realtor has been developing housing sites opposite the Dalit colony in the name of Kannabiran Nagar and one of the roads goes through it. TPDK general secretary K Ramakrishnan claimed that over 120 families from the scheduled caste were residing at Kondasamy Nagar.

The promoter had built the wall at a considerable height to block access and prevent view of the settlement from his gated community. As a petition to Pannimadai Panchayat evoked no response, the TPDK took up the issue to the knowledge of district administration.

The TPDK members also threatened to demolish the discriminatory wall by themselves if the district administration fails to act. Therefore, the wall was demolished by the administration on Sunday by engaging men and machineries. Police were deployed in the area as a precaution to prevent any untoward incidents.