The Madras High Court on Monday directed the State government to constitute an expert committee to consider measures to be taken to prevent mushrooming of unauthorised residential layouts.
The First Bench of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan passed the directions on a PIL petition moved by T. Manju seeking to forebear the authorities from giving approval for conversion of agricultural lands into residential layouts without following mandatory procedures laid down in Government Orders dated August 18, 1997 and June 16, 2003.
According to the petitioner, complaints have been made from time to time about unauthorised conversion of agricultural lands into residential layouts, resulting in unplanned urbanisation without requisite permission from the Director of Town and Country Planning and the Village Panchayat concerned.
When the plea came up for hearing, the Bench noted that the illegality and the nuisance caused to the residents of the villages in Tamil Nadu by such illegal conversion was a matter of common knowledge.
“Periodically, directions are issued by the court for taking necessary action. The problem is at times compounded by the fact that the purchaser may or may not be fully aware, though they are required to make requisite enquiries,” the Bench said.
Asserting that the State government must take steps to stop illegal urbanisation, the Bench directed the government to set up the committee and complete the exercise in three months.
The court further directed the DTCP to conduct an inspection of the alleged illegal conversion of lands pointed out by the petitioner in her area and take action in accordance with law in two months. The Bench then disposed of the PIL.
Wants expert panel to look into conversion of farmlands into plots without permission
