Madras high court rejects PIL against expressway

Chennai: The Madras high court has dismissed another petition seeking permission to stage a protest against Rs10,000 crore Chennai-Salem Greenfield highway project.

Justice T. Raja said the court dismissed a similar plea on Thursday with some observations. “Therefore, this petition is also dismissed on the same reasons,” the judge said.

In the petition A.V. Thangavel of Tiruchy wanted the court to direct police authorities concerned to permit him to stage a one-day token hunger strike at Valluvar Kottam in Chennai opposing the project.

He said, “Everyone has right to express their opinion on such projects, police cannot deny permission to me since my opinion is against that of the government. He sought the court to direct the authorities to accord him permission.”

Two other PILs seeking to prevent land acquisition process for the project by the National Highways Authority (NHAI) already pending before the first bench of the court.

On Thursday stating that for the first time state came forward to take up a mega Chennai-Salem Greenfield 8-lane Expressway project and to generate employment opportunities, Justice T. Raja had dismissed the petition seeking direction to the authorities to permit TMC leader GK Vasan to conduct of public meeting in Salem on the project. The petitioner, K.V Suseenthirakumar, president of Tamil Manila Congress, Salem west district, sought direction from the court to consider his representation to conduct a public meeting headed by TMC leader GK Vasan Sattur Mariamman Koil Thidal on July 8, 2018.

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