HC flays TN govt action
PTI | 08:01 PM,Jan 21,2012Chennai, Jan 21 (PTI) Slamming the Tamil Nadu government for taking over 8.63 acres of farmland from a farmer as 'surplus' and then reserving it for its employees, the Madras High Court has said the authorities' action was not proper. In its order on an appeal by the landowner Sulochana Ammal, whose land was declared 'surplus' and acquired by the state revenue department over 25 years ago, a Division Bench, comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and N Kirubakaran, said it was improper for the department to acquire the land and then hand it over to its staff at their request. "The action of the government to take a decision at the request of the staff of the adjudicating authority, in our considered opinion, is not proper," the Judges said. The acquisition notification under the provisions of Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Act, taking over 8.63 acres at Moulivakkam village in Sirperumpudur, was issued in 1986. The landlady first approached the Land Commissioner and then Assistant Commissioner (land reforms). After her requests were rejected, she approached the High court where a single judge dismissed her writ petition, confirming the decision of the Special Appellate Tribunal of the Revenue Department. In her present appeal, Sulochana Ammal pointed out that the land commissioner had no jurisdiction to allot the land to the Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Staff Co-op House Site Distribution Society Limited, comprising members of the department. The government, however, stuck to its stand that the April 1990 order of the department had become final and that there was no scope for interference with the appellate tribunals July 1992 order. Assigning the acquired land was the prerogative of the government as provided for in the Tamil Nadu Land Reforms (Disposal of Surplus Land) Rules 1965, it was argued. MORE
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