Chennai: Coming down hard on the Tamil Nadu Housing Board for its decision to convert a parking lot allotted to the Belly Area Scheme Welfare Association into commercial/residential sites, the Madras high court said on Tuesday that it had completely lost sight of the purpose for which it was created.
Stressing that its purpose was not to raise revenue but to ensure housing at a reasonable price for those who did not have a home of their own, the court ordered the TNHB to restore possession of the area earmarked as garage to the association within two weeks.
While allowing appeals by Mr P. Sivanesan and three other allottees, the court also set aside an order of a single judge dismissing their petitions challenging the decision of the TNHB.
The board which had allotted residential flats in Anna Nagar under the Belly Area Housing Scheme to the people in 1981 earmarking a plot for parking of vehicles, ordered them in November 2006 to vacate the garage area as it intended to allot it for commercial/residential use.
Pulling up the board, the court said, “The policy decision of the state cannot be made to suit an individual or a group of individuals, without valid reason. The action of the TNHB to convert the user of land deviating from the scheme is illegal and is only to benefit a group of individuals.”
