Chennai: Corporation, CMDA officials under scanner for granting hotel approval
By C Shivakumar | Express News Service | Published: 01st March 2018 03:57 AM |
Last Updated: 01st March 2018 03:57 AM | A+A A- |
CHENNAI: The state Vigilance Commission is probing irregularities indulged in by officials of the Chennai Corporation and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority in granting approval to a private hotel in Koyambedu which is encroaching on the government poromboke land and a waterbody.
The investigation is being conducted after the Public Works Department (PWD) on Monday demolished the boundary wall of the hotel which encroached on the Cooum river bank.
Half of the hotel structure lies in Koyambedu village and half in West Naduvankarai. According to official sources, the hotel has allegedly encroached on the ‘sarkar poromboke’ lands to an extent of 1,003 square metres in block number 31 of Koyambedu village and 1,013 square metres in block number 6 of Naduvakkarai village.
It is learnt that the state government has called for a stake-holders meeting earlier this week to discuss joint action to be taken to evict the encroachment. A Water Resources Department official said that they would be demolishing the structure of the hotel. “A total of 1,013 square metres of the Cooum river valley land has been encroached on. We had demolished the boundaries. They wanted some time to pull down other infrastructure. We will be starting the drive to clean up the Cooum from encroachment from Monday next,” the official said.
He said the encroachment on the ‘sarkar poromboke’ land wherein the CMDA and the Chennai Corporation has given approvals is likely to be removed jointly by the two departments.
It is learnt that officials of the CMDA and Chennai Corporation are under the scanner of the Vigilance Commission for granting approval to the hotel despite its encroachment.
A WRO official said that agencies which give approval have to ensure that structures don’t come up at waterbodies. They should ensure those encroaching on water bodies don’t get water connection and ration cards. He also said that the court should also ensure that encroachments along the water bodies don’t get any legal protection.
