CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the government not to grant approval for layout or for development of agricultural land for other purposes and stressed the need for strict implementation of the rule that governs change of use of agricultural land.
“The respondents shall strictly implement Rule 6 of TN Change of Land Use (from Agriculture to Non-Agriculture Purposes in Non-Planning Areas) Rules 2017 and care should be taken not to grant layout approvals or approval for development in respect of lands under cultivation,” the first bench of Acting CJ T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy said in a recent order.
The order was passed while dismissing a writ petition filed by K Palanivel, president of Chandrasekharapuram panchayat in Namakkal district, seeking a direction to the authorities to open three sluices of a lake.
Due to indiscriminate change in land use, vast swaths were converted into housing plots in the village leading to inundation when the Anaipalayam lake filled to the brim last year. They sought the authorities to open the sluices so that stagnant water will recede, but it was turned down.
The division bench refused to grant the relief on the ground that the petitioner does not have any right over the submersible water area and upheld an order of the RDO refusing to open the sluices. The concerned authorities shall take adequate care at the inception stage itself whenever any layout approval is being granted as far as water submersion area, runoff area, catchment area, ayacut area are concerned and such land are not converted into real estate area, the bench said.
If unauthorised layout mushrooms, it shall be the duty of the authorities to prevent it at the inception stage and not to allow people to construct houses in these submersible areas and water bodies and thereafter claim equity under the pretext of the bounden duty of the state to prevent any loss of life, the bench added.
Bail for BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao
Thoothukudi: Thoothukudi court has granted bail for Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao in a case related to spreading disinformation about Bihari workers being under attack in Tamil Nadu. Umrao, who is also the Standing Counsel for the state of Goa in the Supreme Court of India, was earlier booked under sections 153, 153(A), 504, 505(1)(b), 505(1)(c), 505(2) of IPC at Thoothukudi central police station. The court granted him bail upon submission of a surety for `1 lakh on Thursday. Speaking to the reporters, Umrao said that he has complied with all the conditions of the Supreme Court and was cooperating with the investigation.