Encroachers may lose ration cards

A division bench comprising Justice M Venugopal and Justice S Vaidyanathan, while passing orders on a batch of petitions from the said encroachers, said, “When there are tenements available to accommodate encroachers, nothing prevents the authorities from evicting them from the present place and accommodate them in a place identified by the Slum Clearance Board.”

“The plea of law and order problem raised by the authorities cannot be acceded to. When there is an order passed by this court, the same has got to be obeyed,” the bench added.

However, the bench, on offering time until January 01, 2019 as sought by the State to inform the court regarding accommodation of encroachers in the place earmarked by the Slum Clearance Board, said, “It is needless to mention that the authorities can take coercive steps, such as disconnection of electricity, water supply and withdrawal of ration card from the present place forthwith to ensure that the encroachers do not get any benefits from 2019, including pongal gifts, if any declared by the government and ensure that a fresh ration card is issued to them only after their migration to the area identified by the Slum Clearance Board.”

The bench also directed the Chief Secretary to circulate the direction to the respective Departments such as Tangedco, civil supplies and TWAD Board for necessary action.

Earlier, Additional Advocate General Naramatha Sampath informed the court that while 49 encroachments have already been evicted, another 259 encroachments on the canal bank in RA Puram are yet to be evicted.

The petitioners had contended that it is a notified slum and the authorities have no authority to evict them.