HC imposes Rs 5,000 fine on govt depts for not filing counter

Taking a serious view on non-filing of counter affidavits in response to various petitions, the Madras High Court today imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each on four government departments.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam directed Housing and Urban Development, Home (Fire and Rescue Services), Labour and Employment departments and the Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai to pay the cost of Rs 5,000 each.
The court passed the order after perusing affidavits filed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and the concerned party "Pothys" textile showroom in T Nagar area on a petition by Kannan Balachandran seeking a direction to demolish alleged unauthorised construction by the showroom.

The bench said, "As usual the Housing Urban Development Department, Home Department (Fire and Rescue Services), Department of Labour and Employment, Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai have chosen not to file their counter-affidavits.
"This is one more matter where the usual practice of not filing the counter-affidavit in time exists and thus, we grant three weeks of time to file the counter affidavit subject to costs of Rs 5,000 each... The same would be recovered from the officer concerned," it said.
The petitioner, secretary of the T Nagar Residents Welfare Association, alleged that Pothys violated norms in the construction of the seven-storeyed complex, and even the basic fire safety norms were not followed.

He apprehended that there would be a danger to lives in the neighbourhood in case of any fire accident.
He claimed that the construction of the 3rd to 7th floors was wholly unauthorised. He prayed the court to direct the authorities to take steps to demolish the unauthorised construction.