The Madras High Court has passed a direction to the acquisition officer urging him to give a personal hearing to the Good Shepherd Convent before issuing notice relating to the acquisition of the land of the school’s playground for Chennai Metro Project. Justice V Bharathidasan had passed this interim order. The order was passed in response to the petition of the school seeking relief against the acquisition notice that was served on it by the acquisition officer. The notice proposed to acquire 3590 sq. metres of land of the institution for construction of the metro corridor for a metro station.
The judge directed the land acquisition officer to personally hear the petitioner on 1stOctober 2018, consider all the objections and then pass orders on it. Until the final orders are passed, the authorities were restrained to pass any notification under the Act, thereby adjourning the whole petition by four weeks. The grievance of the petitioner was reasonable and practical. The petition mentioned that almost three fourths of the playground that was provided for the chill was for the betterment of the physical and mental health of children. Although land acquisition was for the betterment of the public, considering the plight of the students, an alternative site for the same must be considered. Senior advocate Xavier Arulraj appeared on behalf of the petitioner. He said that the petitioner had placed an objection before the acquisition officer but the same was not considered.
Courtesy/By: Subhalagna Choudhury
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20 Sep 2018
