HC orders status quo on the transfer of land

The Madras High Court today ordered status quo in the transfer of land classified as seashore at Kadalur Viilage in Ramanathapuram district to establish an aqua culture by the Centre and leveling of Kurunchi Thoppu sand dune near the village.
The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan said "we are once again faced with the situation where the affidavit of District collector contradicts the affidavit filed by Tamil Nadu Pollution control Board"
"We put to learned government pleader that this may amount to perjury."
Earlier when a case came up before the court, it expressed dissatisfaction over contradictory submissions by the Government Pleader and the Counsel for the Forest Department.

Each claimed that land belonged to theirs.
The government should speak in one voice, the judges said today when the petition on transfer of land for establishment of Rajiv Gandhi Research Centre for Aquaculture for Shrimp aquaculture farm at Kadalur Village of Ramanathapuram district.

In his PIL, one Arokiasamy sought a direction to quash the impugned proceedings of the District Collector by which an some land is proposed to lease out for the formation of aquaculture and to stop leveling of the sand dune.
In the affidavit by the Collector it was mentioned that no Kurinchi Thoppu as stated by the petitioner is in existence. But in the affidavit filed by TNPCB it was mentioned that the sand dune is also located very near to sea.

The bench recorded the request made by the Government pleader seeking two weeks of time to resolve the issue and to find out the distance of proposed location from the sand dunes.
The bench then directed the Environment and Forest Department and Chairman, Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority for measuring the distance and to submit a report to the court.