The Hindu : Protest against move to evict Tirumala `locals'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 20, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Protest against move to evict Tirumala `locals'

By Our Special Correspondent

The police trying to disperse the demonstrators who were protesting against the Government move to evict Tirumala locals.

TIRUPATI March 19. Over 200 `locals' of Tirumala were taken into custody here on Wednesday for allegedly defying prohibitory orders and trying to take out a procession to the residence of the MLA, Chadalavada Krishnamurthy, to question him on the Government's move to evict them from Tirumala. It may be recalled that a row has been raging between the `Tirumala locals' and the TTD/Government ever since the TTD has finalised a plan to evict all the tenants from Tirumala and rehabilitate them at Tirupati down the hill. The move is to implement the master plan designed for development of Tirumala and also to restore the sanctity and serenity of the hill station. The TTD management, which is concerned over the problem of `hawkers and illegal migrants' on the ground that they are responsible for the law and order problem, wanted to implement the master plan as the pretext to purge out of Tirumala all hawkers and unauthorised residents.

It has also taken a policy decision in this context to let only the owners stay on Tirumala and bundle all tenants out of Tirumala irrespective of whether they are authorised or unauthorised. As a relief for the authorised and eligible displaced tenants who are already living on the hills even prior to the cut-off date, it had set for the purpose, it agreed in principle to provide them accommodation at Tirupati and a shop at Tirumala with free bus facility to take them up and down Tirumala-Tirupati daily.

But, the Tirumala locals are insisting that both owners and tenants must be allowed to stay on the Tirumala itself and they are citing in this connection a reported assurance given by none other than the Chief Minister, N.Chandrababu Naidu, during a visit to one of their colonies on the hills that no authorised `local' would be displaced.

With the issue snowballing into a major controversy, the irate Tirumala locals, after meeting last night, converged at the Ambedkar statue at Tirupati in their bid to troop towards the local MLA, Chadalavada Krishnamurthy's residence and lay siege to it questioning his stand on the issue. They were harping on a recent assurance given to them by him that no authorised local will be displaced. But in the meantime, much to the concern of the locals, the TTD wants to go ahead with its proposal to evict tenants leading eventually to today's `Chalo MLA house' rally by the locals.

But the locals, including many women, were stopped by the police at the Ambedkar circle and warned against moving ahead in view of the prohibitory orders. But, the defying locals held a mid-road meeting and lambasted both the TTD and the MLA for allegedly going back on their promise. They were later taken into custody. With word trickling down about the arrest, local leaders of all the opposition parties rushed to the Police station and held a demonstration.

Meanwhile, the MLA, addressed a press conference in the evening and urged the locals not to play into the hands of the Opposition parties which were only trying to fish in troubled waters. He said that he was still stuck to his promise that all residents, be it owners or tenants, would be allowed to stay on the hills undisturbed but refused to give any commitment for others, who he alleged, have been living at Tirumala `unauthorised.'

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