The Madras High Court has ordered the interim suspension of an order of the Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development Department of January 7 this year constituting a fresh Market Management Committee for the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex here.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and D.Hariparanthaman passed the order on a contempt petition filed by the Dr.Ambedkar Sumaithukkum Thozhilalar Nala Sangam, represented by its president, P.A.Joseph.
In its petition, filed through counsel E.Vijay Anand, the association prayed the court to punish Ashok Dongre, Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department; Ashok Vardhan Shetty, Secretary, Municipal Administration and Dayanand Kataria, Member-Secretary, CMDA, for committing contempt of court orders dated March 22 last year. Earlier, the association filed a writ petition praying for a direction to the authorities to bifurcate the market area of the complex and consequently restrain them from in any way continuing the same Market Management Committee or appointing fresh committee members till bifurcation was carried out by disposing of the association's representation dated March 10. The market committee as it stood then was totally powerless and inefficient to manage the market, the association said.
The Bench dispensed with the personal appearance of the respondents. It posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.
