COIMBATORE: A long-standing land dispute in Coimbatore has been resolved after the Madras High Court dismissed three petitions related to the alleged illegal conversion and sale of land originally reserved for public use in a residential layout.
The case traces back to the Sri Ramakrishna Layout in Vilankurichi, which was approved in 1990 when the area was under the Sarcarsamakulam panchayat union, prior to its merger with the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC). The layout, spread across 3.5 acres, included 34 residential plots and designated open spaces, approximately 36 cents for a park and 3 cents for common access, as per planning norms.
These open spaces were to be handed over to the local body through a registered gift deed. However, this transfer was never completed. In 2018, a controversial development emerged when a revised layout plan was allegedly submitted to the Local Planning Authority (LPA), combining the park, open space, and nearby road into a larger 1.90-acre parcel. This land was then portrayed as an approved residential subdivision and reportedly divided into multiple plots for sale.
The issue came to light following a Right to Information (RTI) inquiry, prompting a formal complaint to the municipal authorities. Subsequent inspections by the city's town planning officials confirmed that the land rightfully belonged to the corporation. Authorities revoked the 2018 approval, demolished unauthorised constructions on the site, and fenced the area, installing a notice board declaring it as Corporation property.
The individual accused of the encroachment, identified as Narayanasamy, challenged these actions by filing three separate cases before the Madras High Court. He sought cancellation of the revocation order, removal of the Corporation's notice, restoration of the land, and compensation of Rs 30 lakh for the demolition.
After reviewing the documents, a Division Bench of the High Court dismissed all three petitions on April 16, upholding the Corporation's actions. Residents and civic activists have now urged the civic body to utilise the reclaimed 36 cents of land for its original purpose by developing a public park.