Isha Foundation land row: Notice ordered to State

The First Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice R. Mahadevan before whom the Public Interest Litigation came up directed the government pleader MK Subramanian to get instructions and posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks. 

The plea moved by the Vellingiri Hill Tribal Protection Society has sought the court to direct the Tamil Nadu government to restore the wetlands by demolishing the unauthorised construction put up by Isha Foundation at the village without obtaining due clearances. It was submitted that Isha foundation had acquired 3.26 acres of land, which falls under the Hill Area Conservation Authority (HACA) as per a Government Order of April 12, 1990. 

Subsequently, through benami names they had purchased another three acres and in the pretext of constructing a public usage building in just 120 feet rapidly extended it to about 1,00,000 square feet and that to without getting approval from the District Collector, Hill Area Conservation Authorities, Fire Department and Pollution Control Department. 

The plea further contended that the ‘illegal construction’ was being carried out using huge granite rocks and iron rods even at night, scaring wild animals, which flee into cultivable lands, causing huge losses to people.