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: A plea against auctioning space on a pathway at a street exclusively meant for pilgrims,for setting up shops near the famous Bhagavathi amman temple in Kanyakumari in peak pilgrim season from November to February 2016 was today dismissed by the Madras High court bench.
Justices V Ramasubramanian and N Kirubakaran dismissed a plea against the town panchayat(Special Grade), president and Executive Officer, from auctioning the pathway near the temple and also a road near the beach during peak pilgrim season from November to February 2016 and quash the auction notice.
Petitioner V Paulmoni also sought a directive to the officials to uphold the norms in collecting parking fee for tourist vehicles by excluding own-board vehicles.
The Executive Officer submitted that amenities had to be made for pilgrims and tourists coming during peak season. Last year they had collected Rs 98 lakh through pathway shops and provided amenities for tourists and this year would collect around Rs.1.20 crore by auctioning the shops.
The officials also submitted that if the pathway was not auctioned, some private pedlars would occupy the area.
Paulmoni submitted that the road was already busy with hotels, lodges and shops. During peak time it would be flooded with Ayyappa pilgirms and tourists. The pathway meant exclusively for movement of people should not be auctioned and it would caused hardship to pedestrians, he submitted.
Though 33 shops to be auctioned as per the Oct 19 2015 notification should be within the 24 sq ft, shopkeepers keep their goods on the road and cause traffic jam.
On his other plea to direct the officials to collect parking and entry fee only from tourist vehicles and not from the Own board vehicles, the officials said the norms were followed.
