Baalu evades people, send words from afar Sangeetha Neeraja 25 December 2008 Article found at http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Baalu+evades+people,+sends+word+from+afar&artid=GzNgWuJaL54=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SEO=Union+Minister+T+R+Baalu&SectionName=rSY|6QYp3kQ= CHENNAI: Union Minister T R Baalu did a vanishing act on Tuesday, as hundreds of people, who voted for him, awaited his arrival at Tambaram. Baalu planned to hold a meeting pertaining to public issues at the Tambaram municipality office. Residents, who lost their homes during the recent PWD eviction drive, eagerly waited to share their woes with him. But he chose to skip the meeting and, instead, met officials at Pallavaram. In response to a PIL plea filed on the issue of water bodies getting converted into housing sites, the High Court passed an order in 2007 directing authorities to evict all encroachments around 29 lakes in Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur districts. Following the court order, the PWD started its eviction drive on Sunday last. It demolished 285 houses in Gandhi Nagar, Kannadapalayam and Patel Nagar in Tambaram. For the residents of Gandhi Nagar, it was a black day. Without any prior notice, the PWD officials with JCB equipment and cranes landed in the locality and began demolition. The residents were not even allowed to take their belongings. Some 198 houses were levelled down. The Public Works Department has suspended the eviction drive, but says it will continue after Christmas. To all the waiting people, Tambaram municipality chairman Lion Mani said: “This is a message from minister T R Baalu. Demolition will be stopped and there is nothing to worry.” The crowd clapped and dispersed happily. A resident said: “How long will they cheat the people? Is there no end to it?”

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