A single judge has quashed the notification issued by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to acquire land belonging to the United India Insurance firm for the construction of an entry and exit point. The notification was issued under Section 3(2) of the Tamil Nadu (Acquisition of Lands for Industrial Purposes) Act, 1997. However, the Advocate General, PS Raman, has argued that the CMRL had only intended to acquire the Open Space Reservation (OSR) land and not the land belonging to the insurance firm.
The single judge’s decision was made without considering a previous order by the first bench, according to Raman. The CMRL has stated that it has no objections to proceeding with the construction as per the proposal. The issue arose when the United India Insurance firm filed a petition against the CMRL’s notification to acquire its land. The firm had constructed a building at a cost of Rs 200 crore, after obtaining all necessary clearances and No-Objection Certificates (NOC) from the CMRL.
Justice Anand Venkatesh, while quashing the notification, had stated that demolishing a recently constructed building would be contrary to public interest. The judge had also made a philosophical statement, saying “God will forgive us. God will protect the petitioners, the authorities, and also the author of this judgment. God will be with us.” The CMRL’s intention to acquire only the OSR land and not the insurance firm’s land was not taken into account by the single judge, according to the Advocate General. The matter is still pending, and the CMRL is willing to proceed with the construction as per the proposal, with the necessary adjustments to avoid acquiring the insurance firm’s land.