Taking a serious note of the fact that several lands belonging to Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam were under encroachment in Tenkasi district, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the authorities to take steps to remove the encroachments.
Justice R. Mahadevan directed the Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to issue instructions to the Joint Commissioners to undertake a series of exercises in this regard.
The court directed the authorities to find out the nature of occupation/ encroachment on the lands and the details of the persons who were in unlawful occupation of the lands. Notices should be issued indicating the extent of the encroachment, it said.
A time frame should be given for removal of encroachment at their own cost. Appropriate action should be taken as per law if the encroachers failed to remove the encroachments within the given time, the judge said.
The court took cognisance of a report that stated that as per the records obtained from the Revenue Department officials in Kadayanallur, several lands belonging to Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam and the panchayat were under encroachment.
The persons claiming themselves as the holders of ‘ada olai’ had constructed buildings and were in unlawful possession of the adheenam lands. A detailed inspection should be conducted with the help of the adheenam and appropriate action taken for the removal of the encroachment.
The court observed that the report revealed the dismal state with regard to encroachments on the adheenam and panchayat lands, which was only the tip of the iceberg. A large extent of lands could be under encroachment. The court could not shut its eyes over such rampant encroachments, the judge said, and disposed of a civil revision petition.
