The Madras High Court Bench here on Monday directed the State government to give wide publicity to the constitution of committees at taluk, division and district levels to redress grievances related to encroachment of government lands.
Disposing of a case related to eviction of encroachments at Lalgudi in Tiruchi district, a Division Bench of Justices R. Sudhakar and V.M. Velumani ordered that a Government Order issued on December 4 for constitution of the committees, in every district, should be publicised well.
The G.O. had been passed following an order passed by the High Court in another case on August 11 directing the State to establish a mechanism to avoid the court being flooded with writ petitions and public interest litigation petitions seeking eviction of encroachments on public properties.
It states that complaints regarding encroachments could be first brought to the notice of the Tahsildar concerned who shall ask the Deputy Tahsildar to inspect the spot and then initiate necessary action against the encroachers under the Tamil Nadu Land Encroachment Act, 1905.
The details of the action initiated should be informed in writing to the complainant who, if not satisfied with the reply, could file an appeal before a divisional level appellate committee comprising the Revenue Divisional Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police and Deputy Inspector of Survey. If the action initiated by the divisional level committee was also not satisfactory, the complainant could approach a district-level review committee consisting of the District Revenue Officer, Superintendent of Police and Assistant Director of Survey. Divisional level as well as district-level committees should meet at least once a month and communicate their decisions within 30 days of receipt of complaints.
