Over 50 years after it had been encroached upon, 9.5 acres of government land, worth ₹90 crore, on Manalurpet Road near Girivalam path in Tiruvannamalai town, was retrieved on Saturday. A multi-level parking space for pilgrims will come up on the retrieved land soon.
Officials of the Revenue Department, to whom the land belongs, said that the vast open plot, as well as a local pond, Thiruvan Kulam, had been encroached upon, mainly to park lorries. The pond was used to dump garbage from nearby areas for many years. The open space was also used as a garage to repair trucks. “Based on a Madras High Court order, which said the land belongs to the government, we retrieved the land with the help of local police. The retrieved land will be used for public purposes,” R. Priyadarshini, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), Tiruvannamalai, told The Hindu.
On Saturday, a team of revenue officials including Ms. Priyadarshini, and Tiruvannamalai Tahsildar, S. Sarala monitored the drive to retrieve the land. Thick bushes and unused vehicles on the open space were removed. Steel fencing around the land was also erected.
