CHENNAI: Action will be taken against the officials concerned if the illegal shops removed from the footpath on NSC Bose Road reappear, warned the Madras High Court.
The division bench comprising Justices R Suresh Kumar and AD Jagadish Chandira issued the warning when the writ petition seeking the removal of encroachments on NSC Bose Road opposite the High Court was taken up for further hearing on Thursday.
During the hearing, the Greater Chennai Corporation submitted a status report detailing the measures that it has undertaken to remove shops encroaching the public footpath.
The Corporation further submitted that, based on the earlier directions of the court, a special committee has been constituted and officials have been appointed to ensure that the removed shops do not reappear.
It was also submitted that NSC Bose Road has been declared a non-vending zone.
However, counsel appearing before the court brought to its notice that despite the removal drive, encroachments continue to resurface.
In response, the judges directed that the names and mobile phone numbers of the officials appointed to remove encroachments should be displayed on NSC Bose Road to enable the public to lodge complaints.
The judges also appointed two advocate commissioners to monitor footpath encroachments and ordered that if they report the re-emergence of encroachments, action will be initiated against the officials concerned.
The hearing was adjourned by three weeks.