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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Court directive to Coimbatore Collector

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Coimbatore Collector to take steps in accordance with the law, on a writ petition seeking a direction to authorities to remove two panchayat ward members from their post and recover the revenue due to the panchayat from them and another person with interest.

In his public interest litigation petition, A.M. Veluchamy of Kurumbapalayam in Pollachi taluk, said the Tamil Nadu government had decided to repair and maintain public utilities, including lakes and ponds, under the All Village Anna Marumalarchi scheme in 2006-07. In the Kurumbapalayam panchayat, desilting and expansion of ponds in the village was taken up.

The panchayat passed a resolution to sell the excess soil dug up during expansion at the rate of Rs.25 per tractor load.

Another resolution was passed to grant such permission to five persons, including S. Chinnathurai and Maheswari Jeyakumar, third and second ward members respectively, and K.P. Palanichamy, husband of a former president of the panchayat. A total of 500 loads were received by the trio.

After completing the removal of soil from the surrounding areas of the ponds, they failed to pay the total cost of Rs.30,000 to the panchayat. Quoting the relevant provision in the Panchayat Act relating to disqualification of members, the petitioner said the two ward members were not eligible to hold the position since they were in arrears to the panchayat for more than a year.

Disposing of the petition, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla, directed the panchayat to forward the relevant resolution to the District Collector in two weeks.

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