2 weeks Ago By Padmaja J
Chennai: The dispute over a 4,305 sq ft plot in Kodungaiyur, over which Velachery MLA J M H Aaassan Maulaana claimed ownership while the local residents said it was public land, is set to end as the Chennai collectorate has affirmed that it is indeed a ‘ sarkar poromboke ' land. However, despite the affirmation dated Aug 27, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is yet to lay road on the encroached land . GCC was dragging its feet saying though it is ‘sarkar poramboke', the collector must demarcate and hand over the land to the civic body to lay the road because the collector is the land's custodian.
Now, even a month after the collectorate reaffirmed the status of the land, the GCC has not done anything to take over the land and lay road connecting two streets. The land in Kodungaiyur's Krishnamoorthy Nagar (East) connects Sannathi Street and Ramakrishna Street. It was in dispute since the 1990s as Congress MLA Aassan Maulaana claimed ownership of the land (survey number 22/8 at Erukkancheri village in Perambur taluk), saying his former MP-father, JM Haroon Rashid, purchased in 1994.
Several authorities have declared that it is public land, and it has been encroached upon over five times since 2022, but GCC was unable to secure the land and put it to public use. CMDA, revenue department, and GCC confirmed that it is public land until 2023, when the current Velachery MLA petitioned the high court in Sept 2023. The state's additional advocate general reported that the land is ‘sarkar poromboke' in March 2024.
In July 2024, GCC attempted to clear the encroachments but was met with resistance from the MLA and his supporters, who argued that the case was still in court. GCC later reaffirmed the public land status but reiterated that the collectorate must ‘demarcate and hand over'. So, GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran wrote to the collector on Aug 8 seeking demarcation.
Meanwhile, Maulaana filed another petition in the high court on Aug 6, asserting his family's ownership and requesting a re-survey. "We will respond to the petition on Monday. On Sept 20, we received the collectorate's report confirming it to be sarkar poromboke," said GCC's ward 37 assistant engineer.
GCC commissioner added, "We will try to get an interim order and lay the road.".
