Remove encroachments in 2 weeks, HC tells Chettinad Cements

The Madras High Court today directed the Ariyalur district collector and its sub-collector to recover the government land encroached upon by the Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd within two weeks.

Also, the court said the Tamil Nadu government should probe into the collusion with the authorities concerned in letting the corporate encroach upon the land.

Justice S M Subramaniam, disposing of a petition from the cement company, said, "In this case, it is categorically admitted even by the petitioner that the government poramboke lands, which are water bodies, have been encroached upon by the petitioner."
Stating that the court cannot have any objection to the development of an industry, he said, "Such industries cannot encroach upon the government land, which is not only a water body, but also used as a pathway by the villagers and the people in the locality."