Chennai: The Madras high court directed Christ King Middle School, Tambaram East to vacate the premises and hand over the vacant place by June 30, 2019 to the Southern Railways as per the undertaking given by it in the court.
Disposing of an appeal filed by Christ King Middle School, a division bench comprising Justices R. Subbiah and PD Audikesavulu said that the school has filed an affidavit of undertaking to vacate and hand over the vacant possession of the premises in question to the Railways on or before June 30, 2019.
In the affidavit, the school has categorically stated that such time is required to identify an alternative location to accommodate the 1500 students studying in their school.
The school filed the appeal challenging the order of a single judge dated December 15, 2017, dismissing the writ petition filed by the school, which challenged the eviction order passed by the Principal Chief Engineer, Southern Railway. Opposing the eviction order dated December 17, 2010, the school filed the writ petition before the High Court. Senior counsel P. Wilson, who appeared on behalf of the school, said that the Additional Divisional Railway Manager and the Estate Officer, had, without granting any reasonable time, hastily passed the order dated December 17, 2010 and granted only 15 days' time to the school to vacate and hand over the vacant possession of the premises.
P.T. Ramkumar, counsel for the Railways informed the court that the land was urgently required in connection with the proposed project for a coaching terminal at Tambaram to accommodate stabling lines and pit lines proposed in phase-I at a cost of Rs.11.62 crores. He said that the contract has already been awarded by the construction organization of the Railways. The school was established to impart education to children of Railway employees in 1935 for an annual rent of Rs 1.
