Petitioners complain political interference at Kappalur estate
Madurai
The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has granted an interim injunction restraining the State from going ahead with the allotment of industrial and commercial plots in SIDCO Industrial Estate at Kappalur in Madurai district.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the allotment on the ground that the procedure was non-transparent. The petitioners complained there was political interference in the allotment process.
They sought a direction to declare the action of Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation in allotting plots to applications at the industrial estate on outright sale basis dehors the procedure of allotment of plots, as illegal.
Applications were called for the allotment of 42 industrial plots and one commercial plot in the industrial estate. After the process of the application as part of the procedure, the interview call was made. The petitioners said that interview calls were made at short notice.
The progress in the selection process was to be done by a lot method if more applications were received than the vacant plots. No such procedure of allotment by the lot method was followed, the petitioners complained.
They said that the order of allotment was made even as the interviews with the process of screening by the screening committee was to be completed so as to declare the screened and eligible candidates. Only then the draw of lots would come into play, they said.
Even when the interviews were not completed and scrutiny of applications made by the screening committee, passing of the allotment order was not sustainable and was nothing but a gross violation of natural justice, the petitioners said, complaining of the allotment process.
The petitioners sought an interim injunction restraining the State from confirming allocation and handing over the possession of the plots in the SIDCO Industrial Estate in Kappalur pending disposal of the petition.
Taking into account the submissions that there were certain irregularities in the lot system, Justice G.R. Swaminathan granted an interim injunction. The lot system leaves a lot to be desired, the judge said.
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