The Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation to maintain status quo on its playground on Venkatnarayana Road in T.Nagar where it had proposed to construct an underground parking lot.
The first Bench comprising Chief Justice H.L.Gokhale and Justice V.Dhanapalan posted hearing on the writ petition filed by R.Chandran, a resident of T.Nagar, to March 29.
The petitioner said that the Corporation had taken the decision to serve the vested interests of a few powerful personalities doing business in the area. The car park would serve as an amenity for the business houses in the area and would in no way further the interests of residents in the locality, he said.
He submitted that the Corporation had no right to take an unilateral decision on the change of use of the land without affording an opportunity to residents of the locality. He said grave hardship would be caused to residents if the civic body was allowed to build the parking facility. He said the Corporation, was duty-bound to utilise its fund for the maintenance of playgrounds.
