The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed Madurai Collector, the chairperson of the Madurai District High Level Monitoring Committee to consider the applications/complaints filed for removal of encroachments/unauthorised constructions and dispose of the complaints within a time frame.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by R. Mayilsamy of Madurai who sought a direction to Madurai Collector to constitute a District High Level Committee for monitoring and preventing unauthorised constructions as per a G.O. issued in 2024 by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.

The State submitted that pursuant to the G.O., the Madurai Collector issued proceedings dated October 24, 2024, constituting the Madurai District High Level Monitoring Committee. The members of the Monitoring Committee comprise officers of various levels.

The petitioner submitted that though the committee was constituted no action has been taken for removal of encroachment. The complaints filed by the aggrieved persons were not dealt with and kept pending for a long time.

A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete observed that keeping the petitions pending for a long time would cause prejudice to the interest of the complainants who were suffering on account of unauthorised constructions. Urgent action should be initiated to deal with the complaints and initiate enforcement actions by following procedures as per the G.O..

The G.O. states that meetings should be conducted periodically. A report should be submitted to the State High Level Committee. However, the petitioner submitted that no such report had been submitted to the State High Level Committee so far.

The G.O. should be followed scrupulously by the District High Level Monitoring Committee, failing which, the government has to initiate all appropriate action to ensure that the G.O.s are implemented in its letter and spirit, the court directed.