CHENNAI: The land belonging to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) near a police station in Kodungaiyur is being encroached by a commercial establishment, which is utilising it as a place for used car sales.

The enterprise is located at Abirami Avenue, Kodungaiyur, and occupies around 3,000 sq feet.

Residents alleged that a year ago, the owner of the company had parked just two four-wheelers, but later it increased to eight. Then, a ‘Thanneer Panthal’ was installed, and now a shelter with parking facilities has been established.

“Five years back, the local body removed a similar encroachment in the place. For the past 30 years, we’ve been living here. Our children need the open space to play, as there’s no playground nearby. We filed a police complaint, and now, we’ll file a similar one with the Corporation too,” stated a nearby resident.

When contacted, an official in Corporation told DT Next, “We had cleared the encroachment only a few years back. We did take notice of the fact that the Corporation-owned land was used as a commercial space. Officials will clear unauthorised parking within two weeks.”