The Times of India 03.09.2010
Govt lands reclaimed by CMDA, Corpn
CHENNAI: For officials of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and the Chennai Corporation, Thursday was hectic. Officials of the two agencies along with the police reclaimed government lands in Tiruvanmiyur and Velachery that had been in the hands of private individuals for years.
In the morning, tension prevailed on Velachery Main Road after a huge posse of police gathered at a high-rise structure near the Madras Race Club. Senior CMDA and corporation officials had a tough time convincing the developer who had encroached upon the land leased out to the Madras Race Club by the state government. The officials citing a Supreme Court order went ahead with the demolition.
It is said that the developer had rented out the building to a private car service firm which was using it for car service, store room, ramps to first floor car parking, washing and painting area, besides toilet facilities. The CMDA issued notice in June 2006 but the developer had challenged the notice in the Madras high court.
"However, the high court upheld the CMDA action in the same year, followed by a ruling by a division bench in July last. The developer's special leave petition was also dismissed by the Supreme Court in August last, hence the demolition," CMDA sources said. With the support from the corporation's men and machinery, the CMDA authorities pulled down the unauthorised structures and reclaimed the government land.
Separately, Mylapore zonal officials of the Chennai Corporation were facing a similar ordeal at Sakthi Nagar in Tiruvanmiyur. The members of the nearby church confronted the civic authorities for taking over 100 metres of passageway, which would otherwise serve as a vital link to the adjoining burial ground, being exclusively' maintained by them. "The war of words finally ended after the Tiruvanmiyur police intervened," sources said.
For the corporation, reclaiming the passageway would help connect the other end of Kannappa Nagar Third Main Road. The zonal office had also served notice to the occupants of a building that encroached upon the passageway. "It will be removed shortly," a zonal official said.
