Chennai, Nov 2 Fishermen village panchayats spanning the Mylapore and Triplicane coastal belts have resolved to boycott a consultation meeting convened by district authorities on November 3 regarding the proposed construction of Tamil Nadu’s new Secretariat complex at Pattinapakkam.
In a statement issued by the Mylapore Region All Fisher Village Panchayat Council on November 2, representatives announced that they would not participate in the discussions scheduled at the Chennai District Collectorate.
The council stated that authorities failed to issue formal written invitations to the leadership across all potentially affected fishing villages stretching from Mullikuppam to Mattankuppam.
The council alleged that the Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department communicated details about the meeting selectively over phone calls to a handful of individuals rather than serving official notices to all village heads.
Calling the Secretariat initiative an emotionally significant and sensitive matter for coastal residents, the council termed the lack of proper official notification an “act of neglect”.
Following an emergency meeting held on November 1, the council unanimously adopted a resolution to boycott the Collectorate session and submitted a formal letter to the Assistant Director of Fisheries (Neelankarai) outlining their grievances.
The boycott decision comes even as preliminary steps for the project gathered pace. The Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB), Nandanam Division, invited tenders on November 2 for the demolition of existing dilapidated residential structures at the project site.
According to the tender notice, the e-auction encompasses the razing of 96 rental quarters and other structures across a 3.82-acre plot in the Foreshore Estate scheme at Mylapore village, with the contract upset value pegged at over Rs 41.61 lakh.
(PTI News)
