With the State opening up for renewed economic activity from September 1 after five months of lockdown, the traffic congestion has come back to haunt commuters in Ramapuram here as Thiruvalluvar Salai road near Dr. DC Kothari Nagar has witnessed rampant encroachments by wayside shopkeepers and traders.
For the last few months, several temporary structures in permanent nature have appeared on either side of the road. Mr. Paul Dhas, President, Ramapuram Social Welfare Federation, says these structures have protruded even to the platform. ‘When the issue was taken up with the Zonal Officer, she said that it comes under the purview of the Highways Department. On the other hand, Highways department Officials say that they don’t have powers to issue planning permits’, he said.
He also asked why the Revenue Department of Corporation issued a license when the structure itself is not approvable. ’It is an open secret that the traders display their products on the platforms and even on the roads. Loading and unloading vehicles, apart from the vehicles of customers, are parked on either side of the road. The real sufferers are commuters like us. Though the authorities are aware of the matter, they remain silent on this issue. It is difficult to live with the problem. Authorities may be forcing the general public to indulge in protest like road blockade. If it is done, authorities will file cases and arrest us’, he said.
Kishor, President, the Royala Nagar Residents Welfare Association, alleged that the illegal structures continue to appear on the platforms due to the unholy nexus between authorities and traders. ‘The Police Department is aware of the traffic issue. But they won’t act. When people complain, they will impose one or two fines of paltry sum. It is nothing but eyewash. Many of these shops are given power supply by the TANGEDCO’, he said.
An official with the Highways Department, when contacted, said that the corporation and Police authorities should jointly conduct a periodic drive to evict illegal encroachments. ‘We have cleared the boundaries of the highways in Thiruvalluvar Salai and warned the traders not to keep their things on the road platforms so that it could create traffic congestion. But they would not abide by our instruction. We can’t take any action against them as they have got no objection certificate (NOC) from corporation’, the official said.
But, the corporation authorities refuted the highways department’s claim by saying that they had no authority in evicting the illegal structures from the platform. A revenue official with the Corporation said that they didn’t have authority to issue NOC as the road comes under the purview of the Highways department’, he claimed.
