DINDIGUL: Following an order from the district magistrate, the court staff attempted to confiscate the properties of the district collector and seal the collectorate, for the second time, on Tuesday. The district administration had allegedly failed to settle the compensation to those, whose land parcels were acquired for constructing the collectorate.
Sources said a total of 215 acres were acquired from 55 persons for constructing the collectorate in 1985. Later, the landowners moved to court stating that the compensation announced by the district administration was not sufficient. Their petitions were heard in the Madras High Court.
Finally, the court ordered the district administration to provide Rs 2.5 lakh as compensation for each acre along with the interest that would be calculated from 1985. Owing to the delay in payment, the petitioners again moved to court. Accepting their plea, the Madras High Court ordered the confiscation of the district collector's three cars and other materials in his office premises.
On Tuesday, one of the petitioners, Manonmani, along with the court staff and advocates reached the collectorate for executing the order. Senior district administration officials intervened and gave assurance that the petitioners would get the compensation along with interest within two days. The court staff had earlier tried to execute the order on December 2022.