Illegal constructions: Chennai corporation commissioner asked to take action
Chennai: In a bid eradicate the menace of illegal constructions in the city, the Madras high court on Friday directed the commissioner of corporation of Chennai to take stringent action including dismissal from service against delinquent officers who connived with persons involved in making unauthorised constructions.
Passing further interim orders on two contempt petitions, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R.Mahadevan said, “We may so so, as despite, mammoth amount of unauthorised construction, we are informed that not a single person has suffered the punishment of dismissal from service or even compulsory retirement, at least for the last five years”.
The contempt petitions were against one Devaraji,who had made the illegal construction at Plot No: 448, 7th South Cross Street, Kapaleeshwarar Nagar in Neelangarai.
While one contempt petition was filed by R. Vadivelu and D. Gopalakrishnan, the neighbours of Devaraji, the other one was the suo-motu taken up contempt petition by the High Court.
As per the earlier direction of the court, T. Karthikeyan, the Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai, was present in the court on Friday and filed a report.
When the contemnor (Devaraji) informed the court that he had initiated the work of demolition of the illegal portion on the third floor and sought a week time to complete the work, the Bench directed the Chennai Corporation to verify the same.
After perusing the commissioner’s report, the bench impressed upon him the importance of ensuring that there was at least no continuing unauthorised construction by issuing stop work notices immediately when such unauthorised construction was detected rather than waiting for comparison of the plans.
Emphasising to the commissioner the importance of checking the buildings from the basement or ground floor onwards, so that the set backs are adhered to, the bench said he should ensure that the on-going construction complied with the norms.
“The delinquent officers shall be brought to book not by mere censure
or stoppage of increment, but by more severe consequences like compulsory retirement and dismissal from service. The Commissioner shall not be disturbed or interfered with by persons who have nothing to do with his job and that he should be able to do his task without fear or favour, for which necessary protection will be given by the court”, the bench added and posted the matter to September 30.
