R.Venugopal v. The District Collector

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 07.08.2025

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M. SUNDAR AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE T.VINOD KUMAR

1. R.Venugopal S/o.Ranganathan

2. P.Perumal S/o.Ranganathan

3. K.Ramanan S/o.Krishnan ... Petitioners vs.

1.

The District Collector Salem District The Revenue Divisional Officer Mettur Dam, Salem District - 636 401 The Tahsildar (Revenue) Office of Tahsildar 4.

The Assistant Executive Engineer PWD Department Water Resources Department Mettur Dam Division

5.

The Executive Officer P.N.Patti Town Panchayat Mettur Dam, Salem District - 636 402 ... Respondents Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to identify and remove the encroachments made in the Odai situated in S.F.Nos.164/2, 165/1A, 165/1B, 166, 167 and 168/3 at Veerakkal Puthur and P.Nalla Goudnan Patti Town Panchayat, Mettur Taluk, Salem District by considering the petitioners' representations dated 05.06.2025 and 25.07.2025 within a stipulated time as fixed by this Court. For Petitioners :

Mr.S.Kousik For Respondents :

Mr.T.K.Saravanan Additional Government Pleader for R1 to R4 Ms.V.Yamuna Devi Special Government Pleader for R5

ORDER

(Order of the Court made by M. SUNDAR, J.) Subject matter of captioned main 'Writ Petition' ['WP' for the sake of brevity] is alleged encroachment made in the Odai situate in 'S.F.Nos.164/2, 165/1A, 165/1B, 166, 167 and 168/3 at Veerakkal Puthur and P.Nalla Goudnan

Patti Town Panchayat, Mettur Taluk, Salem District' [hereinafter 'said land ' for the sake of convenience and clarity].

Request for removal of aforereferred alleged encroachment has not yielded results and that has necessitated captioned WP is the submission of learned counsel for writ petitioners.

Issue notice to official respondents.

4. Mr.T.K.Saravanan, learned Additional Government Pleader accepts notice for R1 to R4 and Ms.V.Yamuna Devi, learned Special Government Pleader accepts notice for R5.

5. Learned State counsel submits, on instructions, that a survey will be conducted within eight weeks from today i.e., on or before 02.10.2025 and if encroachments are found, action will be commenced under Section 128 of 'The Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998 (Tamil Nadu Act 9 of 1999)' {hereinafter 'TNULB Act' for the sake of brevity}.

6. In the light of the narrative thus far, captioned WP is disposed of in the aforesaid manner, recording the stated position of learned State counsel that survey will be done within a period of eight weeks from today, i.e., on or before 02.10.2025 and action if any, under TNULB Act, will be commenced as expeditiously as the business of official respondents would permit but in any event within a period of eight weeks therefrom i.e., on or before 27.11.2025. There shall be no order as to costs.

(M.S., J.) (T.V.K., J.) 07.08.2025 (2/2) Index : Yes/No : Yes/No gpa

To 1.

The District Collector Salem District The Revenue Divisional Officer Mettur Dam, Salem District - 636 401 The Tahsildar (Revenue) Office of Tahsildar 4.

The Assistant Executive Engineer PWD Department Water Resources Department Mettur Dam Division 5.

The Executive Officer P.N.Patti Town Panchayat Mettur Dam, Salem District - 636 402

M. SUNDAR, J.

and T.VINOD KUMAR, J.

gpa 07.08.2025 (2/2)