HC fiat on Master Plan for Kodaikanal

The Madras High Court has directed the Municipal Administration Secretary as well as the Deputy Director of Town and Country Planning in Madurai to “take effective steps” to publish an amended Master Plan pertaining to the Kodaikkanal Local Planning Area within a period of 12 weeks.

A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and P. Rajamanickam issued the direction on a writ petition filed by S. Mohamed Ali Jinnah who had sought a direction to the State government to expedite the process of amendment of the Master Plan initiated through a Government Order issued on September 21, 2016.

Stating that residents and industries in the hill station could be saved only if the plan was implemented in a time-bound manner, the petitioner had also urged the court to restrain the Kodaikanal Municipality and Local Planning Authority from taking coercive steps under the Town and Country Planning Act of 1971 and the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act of 1920.

When the matter was heard, Special Government Pleader T.M. Pappaiah brought it to the notice of the court that the Kodaikanal Municipality had approved the amended plan on January 3, 2017, and it was forwarded to the Commissioner of Town and Country Planning on January 27, 2017.

Thereafter, steps were taken to finalise the plan in consultation with the government.