Observing that official apathy was the reason for the court being flooded with litigations pertaining to encroachment of government lands and water bodies, the Madras High Court on Wednesday wanted to know why no action was taken against Shanmuga Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA), a deemed to be university, from Thanjavur for being in occupation of government lands for the last 35 years.
Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy directed Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran to produce court orders, if any, which prevented the government officials from initiating action. They granted him time till Monday for producing the orders. If there were no such orders, then the officials concerned must be punished for their inaction in retrieving the government property, the first Division Bench said.
The interim direction was issued while hearing a writ petition filed by SASTRA challenging a Government Order issued on February 23 refusing to assign 31.37 acres of government land under the occupation of the university. Representing the university, Senior Counsel G. Rajagopalan said, the institution was willing to pay for the assignment or was even agreeable to give other lands in exchange for the assignment of the government land.
However, the AAG opposed the plea and argued vehemently that the university was a rank encroacher on government property and it could not seek assignment of the lands as a matter of right. He objected even to grant of a short interim order in favour of the university till Monday since it was facing eviction proceedings initiated by the Thanjavur Tahsildar pursuant to the issuance of the Government Order under challenge.
