Obtain permissions from competent authorities to construct international center for Vallalar, MHC directs TN govt

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State to obtain permissions from statutory and competent authorities to construct the Vallalar International Center and proceed further.

A vacation bench of Justice R Mahadevan and Justice PD Audikesavalu directed the State to evict the encroachers from the Peruveli land of Vallalar Sathya Gnana Sabai, Vadalur, under section 78 of the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Act and retrieve 35 acres of land which is in the hands of encroachers.

Till now a large number of people don't know about the great saint Vallalar, he should be admired across the world for his philosophies and asked the petitioner not to demean Vallalar by wrongly interpreting his philosophies, the bench observed.

What Vallalar was taught during his period, in the 19th century, is the basis of the writings of the nobel awardee Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Colombian writer, observed the bench.

The bench heard the batch of petitions moved by S Vinoth Ragavendran and Ka.Thamizhavengai challenging the government order to construct Vallalar International Center at Peruveli.

The counsel for one of the petitioners submitted that the decision of the State to construct the International Center worth Rs.100 crore is against the wishes of Vallalar as his philosophy is simplicity.

The counsel also submitted that the Center should not be constructed at Peruveli, since Vallalar objected the land being used for other purposes other than worship.

It was also submitted, various songs of Vallalar and his followers including Ooran Adigal, defending the plea of the petitioners.

However, the bench was not satisfied by the submission that Vallalar is against any construction at Peruveli.

The counsel appearing for another petitioner submitted that since the Sathya Gnana Sabai is older than 100 years it has to be considered as an ancient monument as per the order of the High Court.

Hence, the State should get permission from Archeology Survey of India (ASI) and other statutory authorities, submitted the counsel.

In this case the State failed to obtain any permission including the planning permission to build the International Center.

After the submission the bench asked the State why the planning permission was obtained under the Town and Country Planning Act.

Special government pleader NRR Arun Natarajan submitted that the planning permission will be obtained, including all other permissions from the statutory and competent authorities.

The impleading petitioner Rangarajan Narasimhan objected to the construction of the international center with the taxpayers money, it is a violation of Article 27 of the Constitution, said the petitioner.

The HR&CE cannot pass an order for the construction without the consent of the trustees of the temple.

After the submission the bench posted the matter to June 24 for further submission, in the meantime the State is directed to retrieve the 35 acres of land encroached by some individuals and resume it to the original extent of land which was 106 acres belonging to the Sathya Gnana Sabai.