The Madras high court on Monday directed the state government to take a final decision within three weeks on the recommendations of the Justice Mohan Committee, which dealt with issues relating to unauthorised constructions in the city.
A division bench of Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam posted to June 4 further hearing of a batch of petitions and said, “Till then status quo (in connection with the buildings in T. Nagar) as it exist today shall be maintained.” Earlier, the Supreme Court had allowed traders in T.Nagar to keep their shops open for six weeks.
During the last hearing, the Madras high court had granted six weeks to the state government to take a decision on the recommendations of the Justice Mohan Committee and had asked it to maintain status quo. The bench said that the secretary, housing and urban development, was directed to file an affidavit disclosing the stand of the government and its decision taken on the report submitted by the committee.
Today, when the matter was taken up, advocate general A. Navaneethakrishnan submitted that because of the Budget session of the Assembly, which was going on, the decision could not be taken and it was pending consideration by the government. Therefore, he prayed for extension of time by 10 weeks.
“We are not inclined to grant two and half months time for taking a decision. We, therefore, direct the state to take the final decision within three weeks from today. Since the summer vacation is intervening, as jointly prayed for by the respective counsel, let the petitions be listed on June 4,” the bench said.
“The government must take the decision within the time stipulated which shall be circulated to the counsel appearing for the respective parties before the next date of hearing. Till then status quo as it exist shall be maintained”, the bench said.