Maridurai v. The Thasildar

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 08.01.2025

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE N.MALA Maridurai ... Petitioner Vs.

1.The Thasildar, Taluk Office, Sivagiri, Tenkasi District.

2.The Taluk Surveyor, Land Survey and Records, Taluk Office, Sivagiri, Tenkasi District.

... Respondents PRAYER: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents to survey the petitioner's family lands bearing S.No.16/1 to an extent of 28 cents, situated at Nelkattumseval Village, Sivagiri Taluk, Tenkasi District and fixing the four boundaries to the same.

For Petitioner : Mr.R.Murugappan For Respondents : Mr.A.Kannan Additional Government Pleader 1/6

O R D E R

The writ petition has been filed for a direction to the respondents to survey the petitioner's family lands in S.No.16/1, to an extent of 28 cents, at Nelkattumseval Village, Sivagiri Taluk, Tenkasi District and fixing the four boundaries to the same.

2.The subject property belonged to the petitioner's family and they wanted to alienate the subject lands to the third party due to the financial crisis. The petitioner therefore filed an online application on 08.03.2023, to survey and fix four boundaries of his lands along with necessary fee. The petitioner had earlier sent representations to the first respondent and District Collector, Tenkasi on 10.10.2022 and 22.11.2022 respectively. As no action was taken, the petitioner filed the above writ petition for the aforesaid relief.

3. With the consent of both learned counsels, this writ petition is taken for final disposal. If any person is aggrieved by this order, it is open to them to move this Court either by way of review or recall of this order, if there is any suppression of material facts by the petitioner.

4. This Court in W.P(MD)No.12676 of 2024, dated 14.06.2024 issued 2/6

certain directions for considering the application for survey and fixing of boundary. Following the said order, the following directions are issued: (I) The petitioner is directed to submit his / her application in online mode. The survey authority will scrutinize if the application submitted by the petitioner is in order. Patta need not be in the name of the applicant. If patta is in the name of the vendor and mutation has not been effected, still the application can be considered.

(II) The petitioner will have to enclose all the relevant documents such as patta. The applicant must have individual patta in his / her name. If he / she is having joint patta, co-pattadars must give their consent for conducting survey.

(III) The survey authority will issue notice to the writ petitioner as well as the adjacent land owners and also to the interested persons, if any.

(IV) Enquiry shall be held. During enquiry, objections raised by the adjacent land owners / interested persons shall be considered. (V) If according to the jurisdictional authority, the objections are without any basis, the same shall be overruled and the objectors shall be informed accordingly. But the survey will be conducted only after a period of six weeks so that the objector can move the 3/6

concerned Court for injunction. If before the proposed date of survey, the objector is unable to obtain any injunction order, the survey can very well go on.

(VI) It is open to the parties to serve memo of instructions to the surveyor at the time of conducting survey. The same will be borne in mind. While it cannot be binding on the surveyor, the same will be taken note of.

(VII) If the jurisdictional authority finds objections to be having substance, then, he shall call upon the applicant to move the jurisdictional civil Court for agitating his rights. (VIII) If required, the survey authority is empowered to seek aid of the jurisdictional police and the jurisdictional police are mandated to grant police protection.

(IX) It is made clear that at the end of the survey exercise, survey stones alone can be installed. The exercise of survey and demarcation undertaken pursuant to the direction of this Court can never result in dispossession of any party. If the petitioner wants to put up fencing and if there is any objection from any private party, fencing can be put up only after the petitioner obtains decree from the jurisdictional Civil Court. 4/6

(X) The survey authority will conclude the entire exercise one way or the other within a period of 12 weeks after service of notice on the interested persons.

(XI) A copy of the survey report along with sketch will be served on the parties. No costs.

5. With the aforesaid directions, the writ petition stands disposed of. No costs. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petition is closed. 08.01.2025 NCC:yes/no Index:yes/no Internet:yes/no SN To:

1.The Thasildar, Taluk Office, Sivagiri, Tenkasi District.

2.The Taluk Surveyor, Land Survey and Records, Taluk Office, Sivagiri, Tenkasi District.

N.MALA, J.

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