HC directes Collector to be present tomorrow

The Madras High Court today directed Villupuram District Collector to be present in the Court tomorrow on a petition by Villupuram Chamber of Commerce which sought a direction to remove encroachments in public roads.
The first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundersh ordered the Collector to explain as to whether more than 12 months is not enough to file reply to the notice issued by the court on the issue of removl of encroachments.
The Chamber submitted that many roads were encroached by hawkers causing great problems for public at large and sought for a direction to the authorities for removal of unauthorized encroachments.

The court had on March 23 last year ordered the district authorities to reply on the matter which was accepted by Additional Government Pleader.
Since then the matter was adjourned several times for want of reply from the concerned authorities which made the bench to take up the matter seriously.
The bench said when the matter came up on July 14 the court had made it clear that if the response was not filed within in a week, appropriate action would be taken against the officials concerned.
But so far no affidavit has been filed.