Kancheepuram revenue officials on Friday recovered 1.48 acres of government poromboke land, worth Rs 30 crore, at prime Zamin Pallavaram from New Life Assembly of God (NLAG), a Christian missionary centre. Activists point out that the disputed land and other areas near Keelkattalai lake and its adjacent poromboke lands have been prey to unchecked encroachments since 2002.
Residents of Pallavarm allege that inaction on the part of the taluk officials on their complaints led to unabated encroachment of the lake. “Now the major portion of the lake has been encroached upon. I made several complaints but the revenue officials did not act on them,” said a civic activist seeking anonymity.
On a sudden raid on Friday, a district official told DC, “The raid was conducted following public complaints with the Kancheepuram collector. Some part of the government land had also been encroached upon and the lakebed has been filled to several grounds with sand. After inspection, we have placed warning boards.”
The official added that the alleged encroachers have not submitted documents nor have the required patta.
However, NLAG legal office-bearer, Bro Jeremiah, said, “We have not encroached upon even a bit of government land. All the information is fabricated and we have been fighting a legal battle for long.”
The government officials have done their job and we will proceed legally, said an official of NLAG.