Govt. considering plan for land exchange: Sastra

The State government is considering proposals for exchange of land given by the Thanjavur-based SASTRA University in lieu of 58.17 acres of land originally belonging to the Prisons Department, according to the deemed university’s lawyer. The matter was also before the Madras High Court.

Responding to the report ‘Thanjavur open jail work begins’ published on May 13, Niranjan Rajagopalan of G.R. Associates, a law firm representing SASTRA University, said in 2004 the institution filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court seeking to quash proceedings initiated against them (by the government). The petition sought a direction to alienate 58.17 acres of land to the university on a par with other institutions to which the government had assigned lands at nominal rates. The court allowed the petition in 2014 and it was challenged by the government before a Division Bench, which gave a split verdict. Following this, the issue was referred to a third judge, Justice C.V. Karthikeyan.

Listed and adjourned

“Though the matter was listed on several occasions, it has been adjourned, as the government is considering the proposals for exchange of lands given by the university and the matter stands posted to June 6, 2018 to report the status,” the lawyer said. “It is the contention of the university that the institution was placed in possession (of the land) and we are not encroachers…” he said.