178 families seek return of plots acquired for housing project in Sholinganallur

For 178 families, a piece of land that they bought in Sholinganallur more than three decades ago has kept them waiting and frustrated. The families had purchased residential plots in Tesco layout through the Directorate of Technical Education Building Society in 1990, and the land was later acquired by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) a year later for its Sholinganallur Phase III Neighbourhood Housing Scheme. More than three decades on, the families say much of the acquired land is left unused and want the TNHB to return the plots to their original owners.

Pugazhendhi S. and P. Anthonysami, who purchased land in the layout in 1990 for ₹10,000, said that after 34 years, the families were informed by the Board that the compensation had been fixed at ₹11,250 per ground. With interest, the amount works out to only ₹12,257 per ground, they said.