HC directs CMDA, registration officials to be present in court

The Madras High Court today directed officials of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Registration department to remain present in court next month on a PIL seeking a direction to restrain authorities from converting agricultural land into housing plots.
"In order to pass necessary orders we would require a senior officer from the CMDA and registering authority, who is familiar with the issue, to remain present in Court on September 9," the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, said when the PIL filed by Elephant Rajendran, an advocate, came up.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on that date.

The petitioner had expressed concern over conversion of agricultural land for urban use in an unauthorised manner.
He also submitted that on account of absence of any restriction on registration, small portions of land get registered, and thereafter, the area is treated as a whole and sanction for urban use is obtained.
In 2015, the court had made it clear that conversion of agricultural land into urban land necessarily has to be an administrative one and to an extent may require legislative changes, for which government must seriously apply its mind to the problem.