Notices to Kamal, Ramya: HC directs corpn commissioner to act against officials

The Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation commissioner to take action against officials who issued notices to over 100 people, including actors Kamal Haasan and Ramya Krishnan, without referring to a court order.

The matter relates to construction of buildings in an area falling in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).

A division bench of justices M Venugopal and S Vaidyanathan was hearing a batch of pleas, seeking a direction to the authorities, including the National Coastal Zone Management Authority, to consider re-classification of Akkarai village in Sholinganallur panchayat as CRZ-II as per a central notification.

The court had earlier directed the corporation to inform the residents of the area as regards the pendency of the writ petitions.

When the matter came up yesterday, the court was informed that notices were issued with regard to construction of buildings in violation of the sanctioned plan in the area.

The court said the authority that issued the notices had completely ignored the court order in this regard.

"Whether the order flouted was wilful or unintentional has to be decided at the appropriate stage," it observed.

The bench said when there was a specific court direction, it was the duty of the authorities to mention about the pendency of the petitions in the "notice or by separate notice, in order to enable the parties to appear before this court, as the place is a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)".

It made it clear that if the corporation commissioner did not act against the officials, who issued the notices without referring to the court order, and place them in "non-sensitive posts", appropriate action would be taken against him, besides asking him to appear before the court.