The Hindu 03.05.2013
First ‘battle’ won, Pallavaram residents look ahead
Many demand scrapping of ASI notification and resultant restrictions on construction activity.
A day after the High Court’s interim order asking the
Pallavaram Municipality to accept building plan applications from
residents in certain areas, those affected in Zamin Pallavaram were keen
that restrictions on construction be removed soon.
Construction
and repair work in this area had ground to a halt in 2010 after a
notification from the Archaeological Survey of India.
While
some residents were glad that the “first battle was won,” others went
further and demanded the scrapping of the notification
in toto
.
V. Jayaraman, petitioner in the case, told
The Hindu
that the notification on regulation of construction activity had created
a lot of difficulty for thousands of residents in Wards 11 to 16. They
were unable to get power supply connections or construct houses on plots
belonging to them.
“Until now, the Pallavaram
Municipality kept refusing to accept our applications, asking us to get
an NOC from archaeological authorities. At least now, it can accept
them,” said Mr. Ramanujam, vice-president of the Federation of Civic and
Welfare Associations of Pallavaram.
Residents were unhappy over the confusion that had prevailed for nearly one-and-a-half years.
“The confusion and panic could have been avoided long ago had the ASI acted,” said E. Seeralan, a resident and activist.
G.
Maheswari, Superintending Archaeologist, Chennai Circle, ASI, said
Pallavaram was an important megalithic site and that several tools used
during that period were found here.
According to her,
they had been keen on conducting a joint survey of the land with the
Revenue Department of Kancheepuram District but the residents had
resisted.
Staff at the office of State Archaeology
Commissioner, the competent authority for issuing NOCs, said they had
received around 200 applications from Pallavaram residents seeking NOCs
and they were still pending.
