Two more years to acquire gadgets

Extra time granted to the TN Govt to obtain facilities such as GPS to protect government lands

CHENNAI: The first bench of Madras High Court has granted two years to the TN government to acquire gadgets such as GPS and fully utilise funds provided by the centre, to protect government lands.
Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, who were on the bench, granted the time, while passing further interim orders on a PIL from VBR Menon of KK Nagar, on Monday.

The PIL prayed for a directive to the government to constitute a permanent Special Task Force (STF) with adequate powers and responsibilities to conduct periodical inspections and field surveys and remove encroachments from all categories of vacant government lands situated within the revenue districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur and to take appropriate action to ensure proper utilisation of each property, including disposal of excess lands, with prescription of time limit.

According to petitioner just one GPS is needed for one district and thus, only 32 GPS would be required. The market cost will range from `10 lakh to whatever be the price at which ELCOT would procure it.
When the matter came up, the State Revenue Secretary pleaded for eight years to complete the entire process.
The plea is completely unacceptable, the bench said. “Shorn of niceties there appears to be reluctance to engage technology for a quicker resolution. The reasons appear to be quiet obvious. In fact, the assistance being provided by the petitioner should be taken in the right spirit and not in an adversarial fashion, as impression given to the court by the petitioner especially in view of the threats to the person, a specialist in the field and assisting the petitioner at presentation,” the bench observed.

Restraining itself from making any more observation and considering the submission of the new Additional Advocate-General, who has stepped in to the matter only now, and that he would ensure that the need for the court to pass similar directions as (passed) by the Karnataka High Court (on similar issue) would not arise, the bench granted just two years to complete the exercise.
The Revenue Secretary may remain present to assist the court in the matter, the bench added and posted it for further hearing on November 10.

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