Madurai
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has emphasised that public land and waterbodies must be protected and revenue officials and others tasked with the maintenance of such places must ensure that no encroachment is allowed. Encroachments, if made, should be dealt with expeditiously and effectively, the court said.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice R. Hemalatha observed that without in any manner belittling the problem of encroachment on public land, if courts were to get into every tiny encroachment in every village of the State, there would hardly be any time to address other matters of pressing need.
Disposing of a number of petitions that complained of encroachments in public land and waterbodies, the court directed the authorities concerned to consider the representation made by the petitioners after giving an opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned.
