Madras High Court
Manokaran vs The Director on 7 January, 2025
W.P.(MD)No.395 of 2025
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
DATED : 07.01.2025
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE L.VICTORIA GOWRI
W.P.(MD)No.395 of 2025
1.Manokaran
2.Gunasekaran ... Petitioners
Vs.
1. The Director,
Directorate of Town and Country Planning,
2nd, 3rd and 4th Floor, C and E Market Road,
Koyembedu,
Chennai 600 107.
2. The Member Secretary,
Karur Local Planning Authority,
District Town and Country Planning Office,
No.9, First Floor,
Lakshmipuram North Street,
Karur Town, Karur 639 001. ... Respondents
PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for
issuance of a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents No.1 and 2 to release
the petitioner's land property with an extent of 1 Acre 36 cents in Survey
Number 467/2 situated in Thanthoni Village, Karur Taluk, Karur District
treating the Thanthoni Municipality Detailed Development Plan No.5 (Map No.
3), as lapsed under Section 38 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning
Act, 1971.
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W.P.(MD)No.395 of 2025
For Petitioners : Mr.R.Karunanidhi
For Respondents : Mr.S.Kameswaran
Government Advocate
ORDER
The prayer in the Writ Petition reads as follows:-
“Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents No.1 and 2 to release the petitioner's land property with an extent of 1 Acre 36 cents in Survey Number 467/2 situated in Thanthoni Village, Karur Taluk, Karur District treating the Thanthoni Municipality Detailed Development Plan No.5 (Map No.3), as lapsed under Section 38 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971.”
2. By consent of both parties, this Writ Petition is taken up for final disposal at the stage of admission itself.
3. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners, the learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondents and carefully perused the entire materials available on record.
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4. The petitioners' father purchased the subject property by way of sale deed dated 07.09.2004 vide document No.4890/2004 and the petitioners owned the subject property by way of settlement deed vide Document No.1247/2018.
While this being so, the subject property was earmarked for Thanthoni Municipality Detailed Development Plan No.5 (Map No.3), in the year 2005.
However, the respondents have not acquired the subject property till date and nearly 20 years have been lapsed now. Hence, this writ petition came to be filed.
5. The matter in hand is no more res integra and this Court in another case in W.P.(MD)No.20277 of 2024, dated 23.09.2024, has already passed favourable order to the petitioner therein and the relevant portion of the same is extracted as follows:-
“5. It is relevant to extract Sections 37 and 38 of the Act for easy reference:~ '37.Power to purchase or acquire lands specified in the development plan.~ (1)Where after the publication of the notice in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette of preparation of a regional plan, master plan, detailed development plan or a new town development plan, as the case may be, any land is required, reserved or designated in such plan, the appropriate planning authority may, either enter into https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 3/8 W.P.(MD)No.395 of 2025 agreement with any person for the acquisition from him by purchase of any land which may be acquired under section 36 or make an application to the Government for acquiring such land under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Central Act I of 1984):
Provided that if the value of such land exceeds fifty thousand rupees the appropriate planning authority shall not enter into such agreement without the previous approval of the Government.
(2) On receipt of an application made under subsection (1), if the Government are satisfied that the land specified in the application is needed for the public purpose specified therein, they may make a declaration to that effect in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, in the manner provided in section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Central Act I of 1894), in respect of the said land. The declaration so published shall, notwithstanding anything contained in the said Act, be deemed to be a declaration duly made under the said section 6 of the said Act:
Provided that no such declaration in respect of any particular land covered by a notice under section 26 or section 27 shall be made after the expiry of three years from the date of such notice.
(3) On the publication of such declaration, the Collector of the district within whose jurisdiction the land is situate, shall proceed to take order for the acquisition of such land under the said Act; and the provisions of that Act shall, so far as may be, apply to the acquisition of the said land with the modification that the market value of the land shall be the market value prevailing on the date of publication of the notice in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 4/8 W.P.(MD)No.395 of 2025 under section 26 or section 27, as the case may be.
38. Release of land.~ If within three years from the date of the publication of the notice in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette under section 26 or section 27~
(a) no declaration as provided in sub~section (2) of section 37 is published in respect of any land reserved, allotted or designated for any purpose specified in a regional plan, master plan, detailed development plan or new town development plan covered by such notice; or
(b)such land is not acquired by agreement, such land shall be deemed to be released from such reservation, allotment or designation.'
6. A perusal of the above Sections make it very clear that within three years from the date of publication of the notice, if no acquisition of land is made in respect of any land reserved, allotted or designated for any purpose specified in a regional plan, master plan, detailed development plan or new town development plan covered by such notice, such land shall be deemed to be released from such reservation, allotment or designation. Though the proviso also enables the Government to issue notification extending the period, till date, no such notification has been issued.”
6. Fully fortified by the aforesaid order, this Court is of the considered view that the land belonging to the petitioners has not been acquired so far, within the mandatory period as required by Sections 37 and 38 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971. Such land shall be deemed to be https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 5/8 W.P.(MD)No.395 of 2025 released from such reservation. The respondents shall release the land of the petitioners, if no such notification is issued.
7. The Writ Petition is disposed of with the above direction. There shall be no order as to costs.
07.01.2025
NCC : Yes / No (2/2)
Index : Yes / No
Sm
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W.P.(MD)No.395 of 2025
TO:-
1. The Director,
Directorate of Town and Country Planning, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Floor, C and E Market Road, Koyembedu, Chennai 600 107.
2. The Member Secretary, Karur Local Planning Authority, District Town and Country Planning Office, No.9, First Floor, Lakshmipuram North Street, Karur Town, Karur 639 001.
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