CHENNAI: If the public authorities failed to convey the action taken on complaints to the complainants, the Madras High Court would impose costs on the authorities, the first Bench of Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh warned.
“We have been repeatedly emphasising that when action is taken on a complaint, the result must be informed to the complainant concerned. Henceforth, if there is no improvement, we will impose the actual costs on authorities to be payable to the petitioners who are compelled to approach this court,” the Bench asserted.
The judge was disposing of a PIL from T Muniappan of Krishnagiri, prayng for a direction to the tahsildar of Burgur taluk to implement the order dated November 9, 2015 of the Krishnagiri Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) to remove the encroachments in Balinayhanapalli village.
According to advocate A Ilaya Perumal, his client Muniappan sent a representation to remove the encroachments by three persons on a government poromobke land in the village. By an order dated November 9, 2015, the RDO directed the Burgur tahsildar to remove the encroachments. As allegedly no action was taken, the petitioner approached the court with the present PIL.
When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, the Government Pleader told the judges that the Tahsildar had taken action and the parties had given an undertaking that they would remove the encroachments and vacate the place in four weeks.
Directing strict adherence to the undertaking, the Bench said the present PIL was needless. If the authorities had promptly conveyed the action taken on the complaint, the petitioner would not have come to court.
Disposing of the PIL after issuing the warning of imposing costs if the work was not done, the Bench directed that the order should be brought to the notice of the Chief Secretary for necessary action.