Tahsildar’s office furniture seized for ryots’ relief delay

Chairs, tables and computers were confiscated from the office on Tuesday after the local Judicial Magistrate court took stern view of its order not being adhered to by the revenue department. 

Lands were acquired from farmers in Salem and Namakkal districts by the revenue department for the railway project. Following the acquisition, while farmers who gave away their lands in Salem district were paid the compensation in three instalments, those in Namakkal district did not receive their entitled amount.  

Peeved over this, a group of 25 farmers moved the Rasipuram Magistrate Court in 2012 seeking their compensation. They contended that they haven’t got the amount even though the train service commenced on the route in 2013.  

On hearing the case, the court in 2015 ordered the railways and revenue department to pay a compensation of Rs 20 crore to the affected farmers. Three years gone by, the farmers are yet to receive the amount. 

Taking into account the failure to honour its order, Magistrate Prabhachandran ordered the confiscation of properties in Rasipuram railway office and Tahsildar office. 

As there were no valuables in the railway office, the court staff confiscated 30 tables, computers and chairs from the office of Rasipuram tahsildar. The confiscated items were then taken to court.