CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has temporarily restrained the revenue officials in Cuddalore from evicting farmers of certain villages, including Malaiyadikuppam, from a government land at Vellakarai Madhura where they have been doing farming for several years.
A division bench of justices M Sundar and Hemant Chandangoudar issued the interim direction on the urgent petitions filed by the farmers. The court directed the revenue authorities to refrain from taking action for evicting the petitioners from the land until an appeal by them against the order of the collector is decided by the revenue secretary. In the case of the appeal going against the petitioners, they shall be given 10 days before any further action is taken.
Advocate R Thirumoorthy, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the district administration, on June 9, passed a negative order on the petitions given by the farmers against the eviction process.
They submitted an appeal and a petition for interim stay on the collector’s order to the revenue secretary. Even before the secretary took any decision on the matter, authorities have initiated action for evicting the farmers, he submitted.