Coimbatore City Corporation Reclaims 25-Cent Land from Squatters After 32 Years

Coimbatore: In a significant move, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has successfully recovered approximately 24 cents of land that had been encroached upon and misappropriated by private individuals for over three decades.

Sources reveal that the Ramanathapuram Co-operative House Building Society Ltd. had erected an office on 3 cents of the 25-cent land owned by the civic body in Tiruvalluvar Nagar, Ward 62 of the Central Zone at Ramanathapuram. This unauthorized occupation persisted for a staggering 32 years, with the society members repeatedly neglecting warnings and notices issued by civic body officials.

Despite numerous notifications, the association continued to encroach on the CCMC land, prompting decisive action from the civic authorities. On Friday, a team of officials, led by Assistant Town Planning Officer (ATPO) Sathya, visited the premises to lock and seal the building. However, the situation escalated when a group of political party members arrived at the scene, engaging in a heated argument with the officials. Following the confrontation, the society members voluntarily removed their belongings from the office, allowing officials to seal the building.

Sources indicate that the society had previously filed a case in the Madras High Court, but the verdict favored the CCMC. Last month, the town planning department of the CCMC issued a notice instructing the removal of encroachments, which the society failed to comply with.

In response, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran issued an order to dismantle the encroachments and reclaim the corporation’s land. The officials successfully retrieved 25 cents valued at Rs 7.2 crore. The CCMC has announced its intention to take necessary measures to demolish the building, marking a decisive step towards reclaiming public land from long-standing encroachment.