Date:14/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/14/stories/2005121417960300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Eviction move opposed

Staff Reporter

Say Congress is planning to construct its city office in the area

Of one hundred families living in the area, 83 claim to have D form pattas
Former MLA accused of applying pressure on them to vacate the area

HRF leader says there has been no official communication so far

Hyderabad: Residents of Bhimaraobada slum near Gandhi Bhavan have opposed the move of the Congress to evict them for construction of its city office.

There was no question of leaving the place where they had been living for several decades, said Renuka and Anuradha, members of the Gangaputra Sangham, Bhimaraobada.

Speaking to presspersons on Tuesday, they said one hundred families were living in the slum spread over 1,400 sq. yards and 83 of them had D form pattas issued by the Government.

The residents alleged that in the last few days former MLA D. Nagender was applying pressure on them to vacate the area.

The Campaign for Housing and Tenurial Rights (CHATRI) and Human Rights Forum (HRF) had taken up the fight on behalf of the slum dwellers. HRF vice-president Jeevan Kumar said that, so far, neither the Collector nor revenue authorities had approached the residents for vacating the area. It was only Congress leaders who were doing that.

The CPI (M) Hyderabad Committee opposed the move to evict the residents. A party team said it would resist such a move.