High Court raps CMDA for building violations

Issuing contempt notice to the Member Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), for wilful disobedience of court orders in convening the monitoring committee, the court has also directed him to be present before it on November 16. 

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan taking strong exception to none of its orders being complied with regarding unauthorised constructions, said, “There has been complete paralysis on decision making despite our observation and direction. This prima facie appears to be a deliberate attempt to scuttle our order and no court can countenance the same.” 

Pointing out that on the one hand, no decision has been taken on policy matters and on the other hand, neither meetings are being called nor directions of this court are being followed, the bench held, “We regret to note that practically no part of our direction in our earlier order has been complied with. We have noticed on July 18, 2016 that the last meeting of the monitoring committee was held on July 8, 2016 and we are informed that not a single meeting has been held thereafter despite our direction to have a monthly meeting.” 

The bench was passing orders on a batch of Public Interest Litigations, including the one moved by M G Devasahayam, a member of the monitoring committee appointed pursuant to the direction of the Madras High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court, regarding the “obnoxious practise of allowing regularisation of building violations”. He had sought to ensure periodical and regular meetings of the monitoring committee and to implement the guidelines offered by the court.