Petro project: Government reply sought on villages’ delineation

The division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice P T Asha on directing the filing of counter posted the plea for further hearing to October 23.

The plea had contended that the State while declaring their intention to specify any area to be a local planning area must consider the population of such area, the development for either industrial or commercial purposes and whether such area has been either reserved or designated in a regional plan for a new town.

But noting that there is no whisper about this requirement in the said Government Order (GO), the petitioner submitted that without considering these aspects, inviting suggestions or objections from the public or from the local authority or institution in the concerned local area would be an empty formality.

Also, pointing out that the GOs has been published only in the Government Gazette and that too only in English contrary to rules that it ought to be published in at least a couple of Tamil newspapers, the plea noted that the failure of the State to publish the said notification in Tamil enabling the residents of the said 45 villages to raise their objections and/or to give their suggestions renders the said notification illegal and void.