Do surprise visits to remove encroachments in Broadway: HC to GCC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court had directed the Greater Chennai Corporation to conduct surprise visits and install CCTV facilities to monitor and prevent the encroachments in the pathways and other non-vending zones by hawkers on NSB Road, Broadway.

“The Corporation officials should do surprise visits on Broadway from June 27 to July 3. They should take action against the encroachers who occupy the non-vending zones. They should submit a report in connection with the inspection. CCTV evidence for all these seven days should also be produced before the court, ” the first bench comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala observed.

The bench passed the direction on hearing a contempt application filed by activist Traffic Ramasamy (deceased) and others.

The petitioners wanted action against the corporation authorities for not implementing the 2016 order of the Madras HC to remove the shops and other encroachments from the non-vending zones.

When the matter was taken up for hearing, the GCC’s standing counsel informed the court that the corporation is taking measures to evict all the encroachments and the process will be completed shortly.

The petitioners countered the arguments of the GCC by furnishing the photographs before the bench showing that the encroachments are still existing on the platforms.

However, the judges expressed their dissatisfaction with the GCC for not implementing the court’s order for more than six years.

The bench adjourned the matter to July 4.