HC stays town planning authority's move to seal buildings

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has stayed the Thanjavur town planning authority's move for sealing some buildings of educational institutions run by a society at Karutthangudi in the district.
The Bench, comprising Justice M Jaichandran and Justice R Mahadevan, stayed the locking and sealing of the premises of the blocks run by Uma Maheswara Karanthai Arts College and Higher Secondary school run by Karanthai Tamil Sangam in Thanjavur district, admitting a petition filed by its secretary, S Ramanathan.
The petitioner submitted that the society was running seven institutions in its campus.
The Institutions were recognised by the state government and Bharathidasan University, he said.

Ramanathan contended that Arivudainambi, Secretary of the Youth wing of the ruling AIADMK sent representations about the construction of the buildings, as he worked for a particular political party in Thanjavur in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
The Member Secretary of the Local Planning Authority, Thanjavur, sent notice to the society seeking details of the construction of various blocks in the college and the higher secondary school run by the society.
Though he sent the details, the member secretary directed the secretary of the society to demolish some buildings and issued a notice warning that it would be sealed, the petitioner alleged.

The petitioner said the institutions were being run for a century and claimed he was not given sufficient time for submitting further details. He prayed that a stay be granted on the notice issued on July 4 this year.