CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered Cuddalore collector to set up a special team to identify the land that belongs to the Sathya Gnanasabai, at Vadalur in Cuddalore, which has been encroached upon for long. The committee will comprise officials from HR&CE and revenue departments, and the exercise will have to be completed in a month.
A special bench of justices R Suresh Kumar and S Sounthar passed the orders on Thursday while hearing a public interest litigation petition challenging the construction of the Vallalar International Centre on Sathya Gnanasabai premises. The court added that it was not wise to block creation of infrastructure and basic amenities for devotees and visitors to the place of Saint Vallalar.
During the course of arguments, it was submitted that out of 106 acres belonging to Sathya Gnanasabai, only 71 acres are in use now and the remaining land has been encroached by individuals.
Special government pleader NRR Arun, representing HR&CE, informed the court that only 71 acres were available when the department took over Sathya Gnanasabai in 1938. Steps were taken to retrieve 6.5 acres from an encroacher but the proceedings could not be continued due to litigations. The court directed the special team to identify the remaining land and take steps to retrieve it.
Referring to the contention of advocate N Suresh, appearing for the petitioner, that construction of the centre on three acres of land would obliterate the view of “Jothi” from the Peruveli (space), the bench noted that if the land under encroachment is retrieved, Peruveli would get expanded, and as a result, there wouldn’t be space constraints for constructing the centre.
Road in ATR: Centre, TN’s reply sought
Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the Centre and state governments to file reply to a public interest litigation petition challenging the proposal to lay road inside the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), within three weeks. The plea claimed that it would affect the ecosystem and animal habitats.