MADURAI: Slamming revenue officials for repeated procedural lapses in issuing eviction orders, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday summoned the principal secretary of the revenue department to appear before the court and give an explanation on the issue.
A bench of Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete gave the direction while hearing petitions filed by various persons challenging eviction notices issued to them under TN Land Encroachment Act, 1905. Almost all petitioners complained that the orders had been issued without considering the explanation provided by them though it is mandatory under the Act, judges noted.
The judges further recalled that they had already tried to apprise the revenue secretary of the said procedural irregularities through an order dated November 25, 2024. In the said order, the bench had imposed Rs 25,000 cost on the revenue officials of Andipatti for the reason that they failed to follow the eviction rules properly and issued a non-speaking eviction order which led to wasting of court’s time and caused hardships to the petitioner.
We are still confronted with petitions challenging similar eviction orders on a daily basis, the judges said. They suo motu impleaded the revenue secretary and directed him to appear in-person and give explanation during hearing on January 21.