CHENNAI: Expressing concern over the long delay in disposing of the applications against lock and seal and other actions in connection with building plan violations, the Madras High Court on Tuesday suggested the state government to evolve an efficient and expeditious remedial mechanism so as to fast track applications against such actions.
The first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan made the suggestion while hearing a petition filed by Syed Waliullah Kadhri, seeking directions to the additional secretary (technical) of the state housing and urban development department to dispose of the two applications submitted by him against the lock and seal on his building at Triplicane.
He also prayed for orders to the executive engineer of Zone 9 to unlock the seal on the premises at the third floor of a building in Triplicane pending disposal of the appeal filed under Section 80 A of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971.
Stating that there is no meaning in keeping a building under lock and seal for a long time, the bench said the state government shall constitute an appellate body for disposal of these types of issues. “Work out an effective remedy mechanism,” the CJ told State Government Pleader (GP) A Edwin Prabakar.
He also said an outer time frame of two months to deal with lock and seal matters, and three months for de-occupation issues, be worked out for expeditious disposal of application.
The CJ sought the state government to furnish details of applications pending on lock and seal issues and other building plan violations.
The GP explained the difficulties in taking stringent action against building plan violations as many people lay the pillars on the setback area and if such portion of deviation is dismantled, the entire building may collapse. Since most of such deviation issues are related to dwelling houses, it is not easy to take quick action, he told the court, adding that about 3 lakh building plan deviation cases are there in Greater Chennai Corporation area.