The Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld the takeover of land near Chennai Central railway station for the Chennai Metro Rail Project phase-I.
A Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Ibrahim Kalifulla set aside a judgment of the Madras High Court which held the land was not required as they fell outside the project. The Bench directed the respondent, N. Ismail, and others to hand over the 5,644 sq. ft. of property with buildings within four weeks to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The Bench directed CMRL to pay compensation to the respondent in three months.
Justice Kalifulla agreed with CMRL’s contention that the project was time-bound with an objective to ease rising traffic congestion in the city and any delay in carrying out the project would affect the plans.
The Bench pointed out that delay would also lead to contractual implications such as extension of time and escalation of project costs, which in turn would cost the public exchequer several hundred crores of rupees.
The Bench said the High Court failed to note that the proposed underground Metro station and the other supporting provisions such as mechanical plant rooms, electrical plant rooms, bus bay and other proposed developments would be spread over a vast extent of land both on the northern and southern sides of Poonamallee High Road. The High Court order could not be sustained, the Bench said, and quashed it.
