Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [india], May 30 : Over 100 residents of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) housing colony at Chitra Nagar, Kotturpuram, Chennai, on Saturday, staged a road blockade protest demanding the immediate allotment of the new houses that had allegedly been promised to them, causing brief tension in the area.
The protest took place on Gandhi Mandapam Road in Kotturpuram, where a large number of residents participated and urged the authorities to resolve the long-pending issue of housing allotments.
According to the protesters, during the previous government's tenure, assurances were given that residents of Chitra Nagar would be allotted houses in the newly constructed Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board residential blocks in the Kotturpuram project area.
They further claimed that the then Minister, M Subramanian, had assured them that Chitra Nagar residents would be given priority in the allotment of the new housing units. Following this assurance, they said all required documents and applications for house allotment had been duly submitted.
However, after the change in government, the protesters alleged that officials have been stating that the allotment-related documents are not available for review. They also accused departmental authorities and representatives of the minister of giving similar explanations regarding the status of the applications.
Frustrated by the delay, the residents staged a road blockade for several hours. The protest led to severe traffic congestion in Kotturpuram and surrounding areas, with motorists stranded for long periods.
Police personnel rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesters. However, as they refused to disperse, the police detained and removed those participating in the road blockade.
Speaking to ANI during the protest, a protestor Elakiya Bharathi accused the political leadership of political opportunism and going back on their word.
"The former minister promised to give us houses under the TN housing scheme by January, yet they have not allotted them to us. Local MLAs who promised us these houses have stopped responding to our demands. They made these promises just to get our votes during the election, but now they are showing their true colors. That's why we are protesting," Bharathi said.
Expressing concern over outside political interference, Bharathi added, "There are 195 houses here, but now the government claims that people from other places will be given these allotments. Instead of resolving our issues, the government is now using the police to threaten us."
Despite the agitation continuing for several hours, the protesters expressed disappointment that no official had contacted them either by phone or in person. As a result, there is growing anticipation among the residents regarding whether appropriate action will be taken to address their long-pending housing allotment demands.