Ponnusamy v. The Deputy Director Of Survey
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 08.01.2025
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE N.MALA Ponnusamy ... Petitioner Vs.
1.The Deputy Director of Survey, Thanjavur District, Thanjavur.
2.The Tahsildar, Orathanadu Taluk Office, Thanjavur District.
3.The Taluk Head Surveyor, Orathanadu Taluk, Thanjavur District.
... Respondents PRAYER: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 2 and 3 to survey and demarcate and fix the four boundaries of the petitioner's property in S.No. 34A/2A2 of Karaimeendarkottai Village, Orathanadu Taluk, Thanjavur District by considering the petitioner's representation, dated 30.07.2024 within time stipulated by this Court.
For Petitioner : Mr.S.Venkatesan For Respondents : Mr.A.Kannan Additional Government Pleader 1/7
O R D E R
The writ petition has been filed for Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 2 and 3 to survey, demarcate and fix the four boundaries of the petitioner's property in S.No.34A/2A2 of Karaimeendarkottai Village, Orathanadu Taluk, Thanjavur District, by considering the petitioner's representation, dated 30.07.2024, within time stipulated by this Court.
2. The petitioner as a landless poor filed an application for issuance of free house site patta under the Landless Poor Scheme. The petitioner after due verification was issued patta in Patta No.174, under Natham Nilavari Thitta Thooya Chitta Scheme for land to an extent of 5 cents in S.No.34A/2A of Karaimeendarkottai Village, Orathanadu Taluk, Thanjavur District. The petitioner was in peaceful possession and enjoyment of the property by mutating revenue records in his name. While so, the petitioner wanting to survey and demarcate the boundary of the subject lands made an online application on 03.07.2024, along with necessary fee. The petitioner also submitted a representation on the same day. As no action was taken by the respondents, the petitioner filed the above writ petition for the aforesaid relief. 2/7
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 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.
3/7
(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 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 4/7
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. (X) The survey authority will conclude the entire exercise one way or the other as per seniority of applications 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.
08.01.2025 NCC:yes/no Index:yes/no Internet:yes/no SN 5/7
To:
1.The Deputy Director of Survey, Thanjavur District, Thanjavur.
2.The Tahsildar, Orathanadu Taluk Office, Thanjavur District.
3.The Taluk Head Surveyor, Orathanadu Taluk, Thanjavur District.
6/7
N.MALA, J.
SN 08.01.2025 7/7