Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Implement G.O. on assets: Bench

MADURAI: The Madras High Court Bench here has directed the State Government as well as the district administration here to implement a 13-year-old Government Order on transferring assets to the Usilampatti Municipality.

The G.O. passed in 1995 stated that certain markets, fairs and maternity and child welfare centres situated within the limits of the Usilampatti town panchayat, but maintained by a local panchayat union, shall be transferred pursuant to upgrading of the former local body as a municipality.

Allowing a writ petition filed before the Principal Seat of the High Court in Chennai in 2002 and transferred to the Madurai Bench in 2004, Justice K. Chandru ordered that the Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, as well as the Collector shall complete the exercise within eights weeks.

I. Mahendran, who was then the Chairman of Usilampatti Municipality and now a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the same constituency, had filed the petition.

He had sought a direction to restrain the Usilampatti panchayat union from interfering with the properties under the municipality’s jurisdiction.

While taking up the case for final disposal, Mr. Justice Chandru said: “Even though five years have lapsed since the date of the admission of the writ petition, the respondents (Municipal Administration Secretary and Collector) have not cared to file any reply to the affidavit filed in support of the writ petition.”

However, he disposed of the case on merits by referring to a judgement passed in the Radhapuram panchayat union case (2007) wherein the High Court dealt with more or less a similar situation.

In that case, the panchayat union was directed to hand over 156 shops located in the town panchayat but maintained by the former for earning revenue.

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