CHENNAI : The Kancheepuram district administration has recommended the transfer of a piece of poromboke land, under the control of the Pallavaram Municipality, in favour of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for completion of a subway project.

In a letter dated October 21, which was furnished in the Madras High Court on Tuesday, Kancheepuram Collector R. Venkatesan told the Revenue Secretary that the land, which was vital for construction of a staircase on the left side of the highway, could be transferred to the NHAI at the rate of Rs. 752 per sqft. He further said that though the Pallavaram Municipal Council had passed a resolution against such a transfer, the Government could still go ahead with the proposal keeping in mind the importance of the project.

Benefits

The letter further said that the subway seeks to link Pammal road and Pallavaram Station Road, benefiting thousands of people in Pammal, Pozhichalur and Pallavaram. Without the subway, residents are forced to cross the traffic-heavy GST Road to reach the railway station.

The matter relates to a public interest litigation petition filed by the former municipal councillor, E. Karunanidhi, who alleged that the local body was obstructing the subway project for political reasons. Assailing a resolution rejecting the NHAI request for the land transfer, he sought a direction to the local body and the district administration to effect the transfer so as to complete the subway, which the NHAI said would be ready once the staircase was built.

`Statement false'

The NHAI had filed an additional counter-affidavit in court, describing as false the reported statement of the Pallavaram Municipal Chairman that it never approached the civic body for the allotment of the poromboke land.

The counter, filed by I. Ganapati Reddy, General Manager (Technical) and Project Director of the NHAI, took exception to media reports quoting the Pallavaram Municipal Chairman, and added that the statement was "highly misleading and false." On October 23, he was quoted as saying that the NHAI never requested transfer of the land.

According to the counter, the municipality had passed a resolution on January 12 threatening legal action against the NHAI for "unauthorised construction of subway on land belonging to the municipality." On September 14 and 23, the NHAI had sent requests to the Kancheepuram District Collector and the Pallavaram Municipal Commissioner. Another letter was sent to the Commissioner on January 19 for taking up the staircase work. Mr. Reddy said the civic body chairman ought not have issued a "false" statement when the matter was sub judice. A Division Bench, comprising Justice M. Karpagavinayagam and Justice S.R. Singharavelu, posted the matter to November 7 for further hearing.

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