The Hindu                              16.02.2013

CMDA official to go to Japan

Staff Reporter 

Development of transport infrastructure in Chennai is likely to figure prominently in discussions between Indian officials and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Tokyo next week.

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority’s (CMDA) member secretary will be part of the team of Indian officials visiting Japan next week. Projects found to be viable are likely to receive JICA funding.

Chennai is one of the cities likely to gain significantly from JICA funding. A team of officials from JICA met with officials of CMDA last week, and reviewed three infrastructure development projects in Madhavaram, Karunakaracheri and Manjambakkam for investment.

JICA is extending its assistance to contribute to stronger relations between Japan and India. The Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor project is at a conceptual stage and Japan had expressed interest in extending financial and technical support to it.

The Hindu                           15.02.2013

Eviction not illegal: civic body

Special Correspondent 

Stating that the eviction of nearly 110 persons from Thideer Nagar, Kannappar Thidal here was not illegal, the Chennai Corporation on Thursday submitted before the Madras High Court that it had already intimated the residents before they were evicted. The residents were informed about alternative accommodation through the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board within a reasonable time and they had also acknowledged it.

This was stated before the First Bench comprising acting Chief Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice K. Venkataraman by the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, Vikram Kapur, in his counter affidavit. His counter was in response to a large batch of writ petitions seeking a direction to the authorities to restore possession of the petitioners’ houses claiming the eviction was illegal. Mr. Kapur said the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu had requested the Corporation to hand over its public land adjacent to the Nehru Stadium for preparing a warm-up track and infrastructure work for the conduct of Asian Athletic Games this July. As per a Corporation Council resolution of July last year, the land was with the authority which had started the required infrastructure work. A portion of the Corporation land was also encroached upon by a group of people. Hence, they had to be evicted after being provided alternative accommodation. If the residents had been living at Kannappar Thidal for 17 years, either their names should have been included in the National Population Register list of the area or should have physically been in occupation of the encroached site while enumeration was done on January 11 and 12 this year.