CHENNAI: To give finality to over 7,600 applications pending with the CMDA for regularisation of unauthorised constructions, the Madras High Court has decided to club all connected writ petitions and hear them together on July 17.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice D. Murugesan said this when a public interest litigation petition filed by K.R. Ramaswamy came up for hearing.

The Bench also directed Advocate-General R. Viduthalai to make available copies of Government Orders and documents related to the case to G. Rajendran, counsel for the petitioner, by Friday.

According to the petitioner, many shopping complexes that had come up in T. Nagar and Parrys Corner area in Chennai had no provision for parking. Due to the negligence of police, the CMDA and Corporation authorities, the general public was unable to move freely along main roads.

CMDA stand

Mr. Viduthalai, however, submitted that over 7,600 regularisation applications were pending with the CMDA and that they could not be disposed as the court was seized of the matter.

A counter-affidavit was also filed by the CMDA detailing the measures initiated by it to raze unauthorised constructions and to address the parking problem in key areas in Chennai.

The counter said the CMDA had called for either approved plan from violators or issued stop work notice or demolition notice.

Demolition notices

As regards specific cases, he said three business buildings — New Saravana Stores on North Usman Road, Pothys Annex Building, Usman Road, and Saravana Gold House, Usman Road — had been issued demolition notices.

Their planning permissions had been rejected, he said, adding their appeal against the rejection order was pending with the Government.

Similarly, in case of GRT at 50 Usman Road, demolition notice had been issued.

The work would start after the notice period, the counter said. A similar notice issued to Chennai Silks on Usman Road had been stayed by the Supreme Court.

The Chennai Corporation had initiated action for the removal of two fruit juice shops in T. Nagar.

The counter said six sites had been identified at Broadway, MUC Ground, T. Nagar and Anna Salai for constructing multi-level parking facilities.

The Mass Rapid Transit System and the proposed Metro Rail would ease traffic congestion in the city, it claimed.

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