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Tue, November 25, 2025
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Chennai Old-Age Home Accused of Harassment by City Officials
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Published in House and Home on Monday, November 24th 2025 at 22:12 GMT by The New Indian Express- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Old‑Age Home in Chennai Faces Harassment and Eviction Threats from Civic Officials
Summarized from the New Indian Express article dated 25 Nov 2025
In a growing wave of pressure on privately run elderly care facilities across India, an old‑age home in Chennai is now at the center of a controversy that highlights the tension between municipal regulations and the urgent need for elder care. According to the New Indian Express, the home—located in the bustling neighbourhood of Anna Nagar—has been accused of “harassment, eviction pressure and intimidation” by the city’s civic authorities. The residents, the home’s management, and several civil‑society groups have responded that the claims are unsubstantiated and that the real issue lies in a lack of regulated spaces for senior citizens.
The Home and Its Services
The Vijaya Senior Care Home, which has been in operation since 2013, accommodates roughly 220 residents. Its services include round‑the‑clock medical care, daily meals, recreational activities, and a 24‑hour security system. The home, owned by the family of a retired civil‑services officer, was built on a 0.5‑acre plot in Anna Nagar and has been fully licensed by the Tamil Nadu Department of Women & Child Development.
However, the facility’s owners claim that the building does not meet certain “outdated” zoning codes that the municipal corporation has recently introduced. In a statement, the home’s director, Ms. S. Arunachalam, alleged that the corporation has been “intentionally targeting a family‑run, community‑based service that is vital for the safety and wellbeing of Chennai’s elderly.” She also pointed out that the home has already complied with all safety inspections conducted in the past five years.
Allegations of Harassment
The article details a series of incidents that have escalated in the past three months. On 20 November, a municipal inspector reportedly visited the premises with a team of officers and issued a notice demanding the removal of “illegal signage” from the building’s façade. The notice, which was not served formally, was allegedly followed up by a “threatening” phone call from a city official to the home’s management.
Further, the article reports that two municipal officers arrived on 23 November in a heavy‑duty vehicle, allegedly trying to forcibly “evict” staff members from the premises. While the officers claimed that the eviction was a routine procedure due to alleged “non‑compliance with fire‑safety regulations,” the home’s staff contended that no official notice had been given and that the officers were harassing them over a long‑standing dispute regarding the use of the roof space for a small garden.
The city’s Municipal Commissioner, Mr. R. S. Kumar, in a brief statement, acknowledged the complaints but said that the home had been repeatedly cited for “violations of building codes, including the absence of an approved evacuation plan.” He also noted that the home’s “ownership structure” might be problematic under recent amendments to the municipal bylaws, which require all elderly care facilities to be registered under a public or private‑sector company.
Legal Recourse and Civil‑Society Reaction
In response, the home’s management filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court on 22 November, challenging the legality of the eviction notice and seeking a stay on any forced removal of staff or residents. The petition argues that the eviction order is a “violation of the residents’ right to adequate shelter and health services,” especially in the context of a rising elderly population in Chennai.
The article also cites remarks from the Elderly Welfare Association of Tamil Nadu (EWATN), whose spokesperson, Mr. K. Ramesh, said: “We are witnessing a broader pattern of municipalities using regulatory tools to target small, community‑run elderly homes. This is unacceptable. We call on the state government to intervene and ensure that the welfare of the city’s senior citizens is not compromised by bureaucratic overreach.”
Moreover, the article refers to a link (available on the New Indian Express website) to a separate piece covering a similar eviction dispute involving an old‑age home in Kamaraj Township. That article, published on 12 Nov 2025, highlighted a parallel scenario where a municipal inspector issued a notice citing “non‑compliance with fire‑safety norms.” The repeated nature of such incidents indicates a systemic issue in the enforcement of regulations for elder care facilities.
The Wider Context
The Chennai case is not isolated. Tamil Nadu has experienced a sharp rise in its elderly population, projected to reach 12 million by 2030, according to a 2024 study by the National Institute of Public Health. With only a handful of government‑run senior homes and a lack of affordable housing options, many families have turned to private home‑based care. However, the state’s regulatory framework has lagged behind the demographic shift, leading to an “ambiguous” legal environment for such homes.
The article also cites an interview with Dr. M. V. Srinivasan, a geriatrician at Apollo Hospital, who said: “The current regulations are too rigid and fail to accommodate the reality that many elderly care homes are small, family‑run operations that lack the capital to meet all formal requirements, yet they play a crucial role in the community.” He argues that instead of aggressive enforcement, the state should focus on providing incentives and technical assistance to upgrade these facilities.
Current Status and Outlook
As of the article’s publication on 25 Nov 2025, the Chennai municipal corporation had not issued a formal eviction order, but the home’s staff remain wary of further “harassment.” The High Court’s ruling is pending, with a hearing scheduled for 15 Dec 2025. Meanwhile, the home’s residents and staff have organized a public demonstration in front of the municipal office on 26 Nov to draw attention to their plight.
The case is expected to set a precedent for how municipalities will balance regulatory compliance with the social imperative to provide safe, affordable elder care. As the city of Chennai continues to grapple with its aging population, the outcome of this dispute may influence policy reform at the state and national levels. The New Indian Express will continue to monitor developments in this evolving story.
Read the Full The New Indian Express Article at:
[ https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2025/Nov/25/old-age-home-in-chennai-alleges-harassment-eviction-pressure-by-civic-officials ]
