Rebuilding of bakery removed as encroachment irk Vaniyambadi locals

VANIYAMBADI: A section of local residents, whose homes and shops in Vaniyambadi’s New Town area were demolished as encroachments, were irked after they found the local body re-constructing a demolished structure.

What angered locals more was that the municipality did not give a convincing reason for the re-construction.

Sources said that officials marked certain number of houses and shops, including a bakery on First Street of the New Town, as encroachments and demolished those 10 days ago on the ground that they were all encroachments after issuing two notices ordering the squatters to vacate the space.

According to Farida Ashwaq, councillor of ward 31, “it is strange that the local body, which demolished the bakery was now putting it up again, even as families whose houses were demolished were not even given an alternate site.”

Husband of the councillor and social activist K Ashwaq Ahamed told DT Next, “though we sent petitions to the commissioner through WhatsApp, there has been no response.”

Locals alleged that the bakery owner was close to influential politicians of the ruling dispensation and that was why the razed building was being built again.

AIADMK Vaniyambadi town secretary Sadasivam said that locals were irked by the continued silence of officials over the re-construction.

Manithaneyam Makkal Katchi Tirupattur district secretary D Iqbal wondered why the local body did not extend the same ‘relaxation’ to the residents of 48 houses in Nuruallapet, which were marked as encroachments on a water body and demolished based on court orders.

“The local body’s present move would bring bad name to the DMK’s Dravidian model of governance. Officials should ensure that all those who were affected due to the demolition of their houses were given alternate sites.”

Attempts to contact Vaniyambadi Municipal Commissioner P Mari Selvi were of no avail. The commissioner sent a message that she would respond to the call after returning from the agricultural grievances day meet at Tirupattur.