The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Court stays stone quarry auction

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Thursday, Feb 21, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Court stays stone quarry auction

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: A daily wage earner of Machinayakanapally village in Krishnagiri district has moved the Madras High Court seeking to quash a notification of the District Collector calling for tenders for stone quarrying which was located near a site to construct houses under the Harijan Welfare Scheme.

In her petition, Venkatamma said she belonged to the Adi-Dravidar community and was working on a daily wage basis. Like several other families, her family did not have proper shelter. After several requests and representations, the Collector allotted land to the families in Panchatchipuram village and they possessed pattas. The Tamil Nadu Government now proposed to construct houses under the scheme and allot them free of cost. In such circumstances, the District Collector had issued a notification last month inviting tenders for stone quarrying in survey numbers 627, 559/2 (Serial numbers 31,32), Panchatchipuram village. The auction has been fixed for Thursday. She submitted that the place where the houses are proposed to be constructed is hardly 250 metres from the stone quarry. The tender condition prescribed that all quarry operations were prohibited within 300 metres from approved houses and housing plots.

The Machinayakanpally panchayat at its meeting last month had resolved that the auction should not be held as the quarry was nearby the housing site. A representation by the public along with that of the panchayat president was given to the Collector. However, the Collector was proceeding ahead with the auction. The petitioner said the Collector’s action was unlawful, arbitrary and discriminatory.

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