The CPI Erode (North) district committee has urged the Forest Department not to evict 12 temporary shops near the Arulmigu Bannari Mariamman Temple at Bannari to protect the livelihood of the shopkeepers.

In a representation submitted to the District Forest Officer, Sathyamangalam Division, committee president and former MLA P.L. Sundaram said the tea and snack shops have been functioning along the northern side of the Dindigul–Bengaluru National Highway and behind the temple for the past 20 years.

The temporary shops, which don’t have permanent structures, are located south of the forest boundary and provide livelihood to several families, besides catering to devotees visiting the temple, he said.

The petition said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had permitted a few shops, including an Aavin outlet, to function, while steps were under way to obtain permission for the remaining shops. However, a few weeks ago, the Forest Department claimed ownership of the land and termed the shops encroachments. Department officials asked the shopkeepers to vacate the premises, the representation said.

It further said the shopkeepers were unaware that the land belonged to the Forest Department since the NHAI had granted permission for some shops to operate. The representation also referred to multiple communications between the shopkeepers and the NHAI on the issue.

Mr. Sundaram said the Forest Department had neither claimed ownership of the land nor objected to the functioning of the shops over the past 20 years. The sudden claim over the land had, therefore, come as a shock to the shopkeepers, he added. The representation also said the notice issued by the Forest Department on May 2 coincided with the Assembly election period, making it difficult for the shopkeepers to take up the issue with elected representatives or the government.

Referring to permission granted for a Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation Limited (TANTEA) outlet to function in the area, the committee urged the authorities to allow the remaining shops to continue operating at the same location.