CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has permitted the foundation stone laying ceremony for the new five-storey building within its premises after a plea sought to restrain the ceremony.

Senior counsel T Mohan moved the petition against the construction, noting that the proposed building is set to be constructed near the law college, which is a 158-year-old heritage building. While acknowledging the need to develop the HC building, the plea said the infrastructure has to be planned in a comprehensive manner to protect the heritage and aesthetics of the buildings.

When the plea came up before a special bench of Justices GR Swaminathan and PB Balaji, Advocate General PS Raman said the proposed building would not be built demolishing the law college but only next to it.

He added that the heritage committee has considered the petitioner’s representation, and that an expert team would inspect and take a final decision on the construction of the proposed building. The AG also assured that all the concerns would be considered before taking the final decision.

After the submission, the bench observed that it was confident that the respondents would follow the mandate prescribed under Section 58 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, and that they would bear in mind the need to preserve the aesthetic features of the HC campus.

"We are equally sure that the proposed construction will not in any way endanger the structural stability of the law college buildings," it added.

Taking note of the petitioner’s argument about the aesthetics of the existing buildings, the bench said there was no aesthetics in the building but only the reminder of slavery. It then allowed the authorities to conduct the foundation stone laying ceremony scheduled on May 22.