Order on resuming land for CMRL upheld

Chennai: The Madras HC has up­held the orders of the state revenue se­cretary and the Che­nnai district collector to res­u­me the land and bu­i­l­dings situated opp­os­ite Central station for the Ch­ennai Metro Rail Li­mited (CMRL) pr­oject.

Justice K. K. Sasi­dha­ran dismissed a batch of petitions from R. Kasthuribai and 16 others, including Buhari Ho­tel, lessees and sub-le­ssees in possession of the building, challenging the orders, which stated that the government had resolved to resume the property and directed the petitioners to vacate and hand over the respective premises to the Ta­h­sildar, Fort Ton­dia­rp­et Taluk.

The judge said, “The government has taken a decision to resume the land to restore the pu­blic purpose for wh­ich it was originally gi­v­en to Sir Ramasami Mu­daliar. The benefit to the public would outweigh the loss to the petitioners. The petitioners have enjoyed the go­vernment land all these years. Now it is time to vacate and hand it over for a larger public purpose.”

The judge said that they wanted compensation in spite of making a provision in the lease agreement that they would not claim it for the superstructure put up.

It was only for the pu­r­­pose of compensation th­at the petitioners had contended that proceedings under the La­nd Acquisition Act be resorted to.

CMRL was directed to pay compensation to the petitioners on or before January 10, 2014, the judge added.