Officers of Greater Chennai Corporation published the draft delimitation proposal for the city on Thursday.

The copies of the proposal will be available for the public in all zonal offices of the Chennai Corporation.

After studying the draft, residents, political party representatives and all members of the civil society are requested to submit claims and objections pertaining to the proposal before 5.45 p.m. on January 29.

“Three regional deputy commissioners have been designated as delimitation authorities for each of the three regions. Claims and objections have to be submitted to these officials,” said an official of the Chennai Corporation.

Residents can meet the delimitation authority of their region to submit claims and objections or send them by post to the regional offices of the Corporation.

The address for the Chennai Corporation north regional office is: Regional Deputy Commissioner, Chennai Corporation north regional office, Basin Bridge Road, Old Washermenpet, Chennai 600021.

The address for the central regional office is: Regional Deputy Commissioner, Chennai Corporation central regional office, Second Cross Street, Pulla Avenue, Shenoy Nagar, Chennai 600030.

Those in the southern region can send in their inputs to: Regional Deputy Commissioner, Chennai Corporation south regional office,115, Dr. Muthulakshmi Road, Adyar, Chennai 600020. The proposal has been made based on different population criteria for different levels of urbanisation and data from the 2011 Census.

In a bid to avoid the increase in the number of councillors in core city from 107 to 134 and a decrease in number of councillors in added areas from 93 to 66, officials have adopted a different method. Each of the wards in Manali and Madhavaram will have 15,000 people. Wards in Tiruvottiyur, Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur will have 20,000 people. Wards in Ambattur and Valasaravakkam will have 30,000 people. Wards in the core city — Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar— will have 43,000 people.

“Most political parties have agreed with the different population approach, which has been proved successful,” said an official.

The final decision will be made after studying all aspects of the claims and objections.

The Madras High Court on Thursday said the State government must attempt to remove illegal constructions and encroachments in public places such as road, parks and Open Space Reserve area, instead of regularising them.

“As observed by the Supreme Court in many cases, the authorities cannot and shall not regularise the Open Space Reserve and set-backs, as they are like lung spaces of the area, which needs to be protected and restored,” a Bench comprising Justices M. Venugopal and S. Vaidyanathan said.

The observations were made while the court was disposing of a case relating to an unauthorised construction of a shop, D.R. Super Market and Furniture in Red Hills. The petitioners, D. Rajappa and R. Jayalakshmi, sought the removal of lock and seal on their property so that they could apply for regularisation.

The Bench said, “The petitioners having been unsuccessful in several rounds of litigations and are trying to take everyone for a ride, including this court, as could be seen from the facts narrated below. This court will not perpetuate the illegality.”

The judges said the authorities had found that the building had a number of violations, even after providing a revised plan under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act. “The petitioners were heard and it was found that the entire building is in violation and that earlier, the appellate authority rejected the appeal,” the Bench said.

The petitioners initially approached a Division Bench, which dismissed the writ petition and ordered the demolition of the unauthorised construction in October 2006.

“The matter was taken to the Supreme Court, which rejected the request of the present petitioners,” the court said. Following this, the petitioners sought relief under a G.O. of the Housing and Urban Development department in June 2017, for regularisation. But, it said the petitioners “are not entitled to seek indulgence of this court”.

The Bench also said “it is very unfortunate that the Government being a party to a civil appeal, is trying to give a go-by of the Supreme Court order” and directed the authorities to immediately demolish the illegal building failing which disciplinary action and penalty would be imposed.