CHENNAI: Holding that a blanket stay cannot be granted against eviction of slum dwellers without hearing the State government, the Madras HC has refused to stall the ousting of residents from 36 slums in the city.
A vacation bench of Justices M S Ramesh and G R Swaminathan ordered notice to the State government, returnable by January 5. The bench was entertaining a PIL from Pennurimai Iyakkam, a women’s welfare organisation, on Thursday.
According to petitioner, PWD and Greater Chennai Corporation were resorting to mass eviction of slum-dwellers without following the TN Slum Areas Act of 1971. Slum-dwellers were being evicted without notification of their residential areas as slum areas, as required Already residents of 22 slums in MK Stalin Nagar and Thideer Nagar were evicted fully.
The displaced children without being able to continue their education, fall in the hands of anti-social elements, petitioner said and cited a similar mass eviction drive carried out in New York City which resulted in public outcry forcing the City Council to enact a law for inclusive housing, petitioner said.
PIL to ban use of PET bottles for selling booze
Chennai: A PIL has been filed in the Madras High Court to ban use of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles for selling liquor. In the petition, S Prathab, a wholesale dealer of used glass liquor bottles, has sought the court’s intervention to quash a GO dated June 19, 1996, which allowed manufacturers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor brands to use PET bottles.
Admitting the plea, a vacation bench of Justices MS Ramesh and GR Swaminathan ordered notice to the State government and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, returnable by January 8. According to petitioner, TASMAC was using only glass bottles till recently. But, it slowly started using PET bottles instead of glass. The bench has directed the govt
to file a counter-affidavit.