The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought a response from the Thoothukudi district administration on a petition seeking action against officials who had granted permit to a gravel quarry on a land that was allotted to the landless poor under the Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Act.
A Division Bench of Justices T.S. Sivagnanam and S. Ananthi, taking a serious note of the issue, sought a counter affidavit from the district administration on the petition filed by S.M.A. Pon Gandhimathinathan. He sought direction to the Collector to take action against the erring officials.
The petitioner sought a direction to the Collector to provide sanction under the Section 197 of CrPC (prosecution of judges and public servants) against those officials who had submitted a false report and bogus patta in favour of private individuals to carry out quarry operations.
He said that many landless poor people in and around Thoothukudi were identified and the lands were allotted to them under the Act. But due to non compliance of certain conditions by the land holders, the lands were retained by the government. The case was adjourned till July 9.
