Interim stay on order cancelling housing sites issued to 130 people in Tiruttani

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court passed an interim stay on an impugned order passed by the Tiruttani tahsildar cancelling the housing site pattas issued to 130 landless poor and daily wage workers.

“Considering the fair stand taken by the counsel on either side, the balance of convenience is in favour of the petitioner. Therefore, there shall be an order of interim injunction as prayed for, ” Justice M Dhandapani held.

The judge passed the interim injunction on hearing a petition filed by S Jayavel, and 20 other residents of Tiruttani who are the beneficiaries availed of the housing site issued by the government on August 29, 2020.

The petitioner wanted to quash the impugned order passed by the Tiruttani Tahsildar on March 8, cancelling the housing sites with a direction to the 130 beneficiaries not to construct houses on the particular land allotted by the government. The government allotted two cents of land to each of the beneficiaries.

The tahsildar's order was on the ground that since the total stretch of the land is above 25 cents and falls within the 1.5 km town limit, the slum clearance board should take a call on this and the revenue department could not proceed the same, the petitioners noted.

“As there is a condition put by the government asking us to construct the houses within a year, we made an application to subdivide the subject land and fix the boundaries in the said land, pursuant to which, the impugned order has been passed cancelling the house site patta granted in favour of us, ” Jayavel and others submitted.

The judge rejected the government’s submissions and passed the interim injunction injuncting the revenue officials from disturbing the peaceful possession of lands by the petitioners.