178 families seek return of plots acquired for housing project in Sholinganallur

For 178 families, a piece of land that they bought in Sholinganallur more than three decades ago has kept them waiting and frustrated. The families had purchased residential plots in Tesco layout through the Directorate of Technical Education Building Society in 1990, and the land was later acquired by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) a year later for its Sholinganallur Phase III Neighbourhood Housing Scheme. More than three decades on, the families say much of the acquired land is left unused and want the TNHB to return the plots to their original owners.

Pugazhendhi S. and P. Anthonysami, who purchased land in the layout in 1990 for ₹10,000, said that after 34 years, the families were informed by the Board that the compensation had been fixed at ₹11,250 per ground. With interest, the amount works out to only ₹12,257 per ground, they said.

The families were also questioning the delay in recording the acquisition. Though the notification for TNHB acquiring the 13.89 acres of land was issued in 1991, the details were entered in the Sub-Registrar’s office only in 2010. By then, some of the plots had changed hands through subsequent sales, they mentioned.

“The market value of land in Sholinganallur has increased manifold in the last three decades. Our demand is that the TNHB return our plot because it is still empty land and the Board has not used it since the ‘90s. Or they could give us alternate plots,” they said. “Even if it is not the case, they could allot us flats in the 1000 apartments that have already been built by them in one part of the land. Many of them are vacant, and we should be given a house in their project,” added Mr. Pugazhendhi.

According to a TNHB official, the Board has plans to construct around 1000 more apartments there using the still vacant land, and will be retained for future development.

Mr. Anthonysami said if their demands are not considered, they are seeking compensation that reflects the present value of the land as their last resort. He added that the government should release the plots under the scheme by the earlier DMK government to return unutilised land parcels by TNHB to the original owners. “We have already met the Housing and Urban Development Minister B. Rajkumar and submitted a petition. We are also trying to get an appointment with the Chief Minister. The Supreme Court too has directed the TNHB to provide us with fair compensation or alternate plots, but the compensation fixed for us is extremely low. It has been absolutely shocking and heartbreaking for us,” added Mr. Anthonysami.