Madras High Court seek report on waterbody encroached by varsity – The New Indian Express

Chennai News

By Express News Service

CHENNAI:  The First Bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and N Mala on Tuesday, directed TN government to file a report on the exact extent of land that was part of a waterbody but under encroachment by SASTRA deemed university in Thanjavur.

The direction was given after senior counsels Rajagopal and PH Arvindh Pandian, appearing for the university, countered the submission of Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran, who said a part of the 33.37 acres under encroachment was part of waterbodies and the revenue department had records for it.

SASTRA’s counsels said there was no waterbody and no survey number existed to show that the encroached land was part of the waterbody. They sought independent verification of the matter.
Ravindran blamed the university of squatting on government land for long.

“It ought to be evicted, and there was no compromise on the issue,” he said. While directing the AAG to file a report on the extent of the waterbody under encroachment, the bench told the counsels for the university to file their reply to it and posted the matter to September 26.

TN government had accused SASTRA of encroaching on 33.37 acres of government land for 35 years. Thought  the varsity offered alternative land, the State government rejected it. 

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/sep/07/madras-high-court-seekreport-on-waterbody-encroached-by-varsity-2495614.html