Traders take a tough stand

Jisha Surya
First Published : 23 Jun 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: What is the cost of development? When letting the authorities raze his shop for widening the MG Road in 1996, Gangadharan may not have had an idea. But, after waiting for five years in vain for rehabilitation, Gangadharan found the answer. He committed suicide.
Memories of that eviction and unkept promises are still fresh in  the minds of traders who are now facing displacement for the Thakaraparambu flyover. This time, however, all the 56 traders are not ready to budge without proper rehabilitation.
Last June 2, a committee headed by Law Minister M. Vijayakumar had proposed temporary sheds for the 16 shops which need immediate dismantlement. The committee also promised to take necessary steps to solve the legal issues with the promoters of Big Bazaar. But these are not enough to raise the confidence of the shopowners. They see it as a political ploy ahead of the panchayat elections.
“We have heard so many offers so far. We need permanent rehabilitation. We are ready to shift to temporary sheds near Parthas, provided there is a court order stating that this is temporary and we will be rehabilitated permanently. Otherwise, we fear it will affect the case against Big Bazaar,” said a shop owner at Power House Road. The traders are pointing to many incidents, including the suicide of Gangadharan, as examples of the price they had to pay for development.
Though the traders are being accused of sabotaging the flyover work, the buck, finally, stops with the government. “The government did nothing to remove the legal hurdle. The government pleader is absent whenever there is a hearing on the case. Thus, it has lagged for two years. Now, all of a sudden, they have come up with new offers,”  Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi general secretary Ravikumar said.
“We are not against development or the flyover. Let it come. But not at the cost of our lives,” he said.
The traders said all rehabilitation packages offered to them were acceptable. But nothing worked. “They said we would be rehabilitated at Putharikandam or at the land of Sri Chithra Home. The land under the proposed flyover too was offered. But nothing materialised. We lost hope,” he said.  The 45 cents of land earmarked for accommodating the traders evicted for the Thakaraparambu flyover was purchased by Malabar Castle in 2004.
With the support of officials of the Corporation and TRIDA, a multi-storeyed building eventually cropped up there, which now holds the retail giant Big Bazaar.
Based on a report of Revenue Principal Secretary Nivedita P. Haran, the Revenue Department, in 2008, initiated proceedings to take over the land. However, the Malabar Castle secured a stay order against the process. Till date, the government has done nothing to get over this legal hurdle.
As a trader rightly pointed out, “if the government is not showing the will to remove a single block of the big business group for a public purpose, it has no right to demolish the livelihood of small shopkeepers like us”.
The Thakaraparambu flyover is a necessity. But in making it a reality, the government must also show the will to ensure proper rehabilitation.
CRUCIAL FOR CITY
What next? This was the question raised after the inauguration of the Bakery Junction flyover. The obvious answer was the proposed flyover at Thakaraparambu.
 Ironically, the Thakaraparambu flyover, which is now touted to be  the city’s second, was suggested as the first and most important flyover. According to the N.S. Sreenivasan Committee Report submitted in 2002, the Palayam underpass and the Thakaraparambu flyover are the major components of road network development in the city for ensuring efficient and uninterrupted flow of traffic across M.G. Road. Thakaraparambu flyover was part of the first Intermediate Ring Road which passes through Vellayambalam junction, Thycaud, Choorakattupalayam, Power House Road (access to the southern opening of the Railway Station), Thakaraparambu Road, Vazhapalli, Kavadi Road, Pettah, Naalumukku, Kannammoola, Law College, PMG, LMS and Museum Junction.
jisha@expressbuzz.com