By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 12, 2011:
CHENNAI: Dejected over successive governments’ failure in meeting their core demand of writing off loan dues to the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, slum dwellers in Vyasarpadi have decided to put a price to their votes.
“About 10,000-odd slum votes in two Corporation divisions (32 and 33) in Perambur Assembly segment are up for grabs, as residents plan to vote for the candidate who gives them the promise of waiving off loan dues in writing,” read a digital banner put up at the entrance of the slum colonies.Besides putting the banner here, the locals have also sent representations to all the candidates contesting from the Perambur constituency, but none, including the main contenders from the DMK and the CPM, is biting yet.N Thangaraj, who spearheaded the campaign, said, “Though the locals never refrain from voting, this time, everyone wanted to sell their votes for a bigger cause, pitching for the waiver of loan dues and grant of sale deeds for their plots.”The issue of loan dues goes back to the 1980s, according to Thangaraj, when the State government rolled out the urban development scheme with a World Bank aid to clear slums in the city.“Under the scheme, the then government gave a loan amount of Rs 3,150 to each slum family here to upgrade dwelling units. But, no one knew then that they would have to pay it back to the Slum Clearance Board to get their patta and sale deeds.” The dues have since mounted to Rs 50,000 per dweller.“Even though no one assured has us about the waiver, we will not boycott the election in retaliation,” he clarified. A final decision on which candidate to vote for will be taken on Wednesday morning, said Thangaraj.
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