The state government on Tuesday informed the Madras high court that the portion of the P.Orr & Sons building that is to be demolished for the Chennai Metro Rail project is not a heritage structure.
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) sought a direction to the authorities not to permit or authorise demolition or modification of the heritage structure of P.Orr & Sons on Anna Salai.
The petition by INTACH came up for hearing in front of a division bench of Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and M. Venugopal.
The bench reserved orders after hearing arguments from both sides.
INTACH pointed out that P.Orr & Sons was a heritage structure and submitted that preservation of such structures was a mandate of the Constitution and every authority was bound to act in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution.
Advocate general A Navaneethakrishnan produced a map and drawing and submitted that the portion that was sought to be demolished was not a heritage structure.
The demolition was cleared by the Heritage Conservation Committee. Legally there was no impediment as already the award has been passed in land acquisition proceedings, A Navaneethakrishnan said.