Residents near airport call for easing restrictions on land sales

The Kalapatti Poonga Nagar region welfare association on Monday called for the relaxation of restrictions on transactions on land the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) had sold near Coimbatore airport.

In its petition presented at the weekly grievance meeting, the association said about 3,000 people from 700 families were residing in the area after buying land from TNHB. Coming from low- and middle-income neighborhoods, they had bought three-quarters of a cent of land, a hundred, a hundred and a half, etc. with the dream of owning a house.

When the board of directors requested approval of the plan from the relevant authorities, they divided the project site into three sections, “A”, “B” and “C”. While banning the sale of land under section “A”, the authorities had allowed the sale of land and the construction of houses on sections “B” and “C”.

The reason given for the Section “A” ban was that the land was needed for the expansion of the Coimbatore Airport. The petitioners said they purchased land in the other two sections based on assurances that they could build houses.

Now residents were being told that there should be no transactions on the land under survey number 494, including those in Sections “B” and “C”. The association requested that the restriction on the sale of land be limited to section ‘A’.

“Close liquor stores”

Hindustan Makkal Seva Iyakkam on Monday submitted a petition to the district administration demanding the closure of liquor stores in Deepavali. In his petition presented at the grievance meeting, he said incidents that disrupt law and order were reported every Deepavali because people chose to celebrate the festival by consuming alcohol.

Therefore, the government should order these outlets to remain closed on Deepavali, the organizations said.

“Protect the water body”

Tamil Puligal Katchi alleged in a petition that there was an attempt by estate agents to encroach on a three-acre body of water in the village of Dayanur at No.4 Kemmarampalayam Panchayat, Mettupalayam

He said realtors started building a wall and making a route to the plots they were trying to sell. The organization also alleged that this was happening with the help of a few local officials and wanted the district administration to protect the water body.