MADURAI: Madras high court has directed the state govt to submit a report on details of unauthorised constructions made in urban local bodies and the action taken against such constructions by the authorities.
The court was hearing a plea pertaining to an unauthorised construction in Trichy district. During the course of hearing, the state submitted that a GO dated Mar 1, 2024, has been passed constituting high level monitoring committees to monitor and curb unauthorised constructions in all districts across the state, pursuant to an earlier order passed by a division bench.
Taking into account the submissions, a division bench of justice R Suresh Kumar and justice G Arul Murugan observed that there are provisions under legislations such as the Town and Country Planning Act and the Urban Local Bodies Act to deal with unauthorised constructions. If the provisions are implemented strictly, it would be a sufficient safeguard to deal with the menace of unauthorised constructions.
The judges observed that the state should ensure that the constitution of committees shall not be detrimental or against the working pattern or functioning of authorities under the said legislations. In order to test the bonafide intention of the state govt in constituting committees, the judges directed the local bodies to submit periodical reports on action taken on unauthorised constructions to the committees. The committees shall conduct monthly meetings mandatorily to discuss the reports submitted.
The judges suo motu implemented the commissioner of municipal administration and director of town panchayats as parties in the case to facilitate the implementation of the directions. The hearing in the case was adjourned to Apr 29.
