Madurai
The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court dismissed a petition filed by 315 persons who sought a direction to the State government to get the defence lands in K. Abishekapuram in Tiruchi district transferred from the Ministry of Defence and to issue them house site pattas.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh took note of the counter affidavit submitted by Tiruchi Collector that said the petitioners were encroaching up on the land belonging to the Ministry of Defence and they had no right to claim house site patta.
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The Estate Officer submitted that the land would be utilised to develop a transient accommodation and canteen facilities for the welfare of the serving and the retired service personnel, as an Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme Polyclinic was constructed opposite the site.
The judge observed that the petitioners had claimed an impossible relief just to continue with the illegal encroachment of the lands belonging to the Ministry of Defence and they completely lacked any legal right.
The State government was already taking steps for the rehabilitation of the encroachers by allotting flats constructed by the Slum Clearance Board at Nagamangalam. The petitioners were not prepared to avail the scheme and want to squat on the defence lands, the court observed.
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The judge observed that the relief sought by the petitioners cannot be granted and that the court did not find any ground to even entertain the petition. The petition was dismissed.