Spirited query: How many Tasmac units in illegal buildings?

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) to file an affidavit on its retail shops functioning in unauthorised constructions and to close down one such shop in Peelamedu in Coimbatore.

A division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam gave the directive while passing interim orders on a PIL petition from the residents of Balan Nagar, after impleading the Tasmac managing director as a party-respondent.

The petitioner submitted that the shop is located on a road where hospitals, a temple, a school and bus stand are situated. The building where it was located itself was an unauthorised one. There is no security after 8 pm in the street and none can enter as the boozers used to consume liquor and cause all sorts of nuisance. Following repeated requests and representations, the District Collector had directed the Tasmac local district manager to close down the shop. But the Collector had reversed his stand.

The bench ordered the closure of the shop temporarily and directed the Tasmac MD to file an affidavit containing details of the number of shops run at the premises of buildings which do not have authorised plan and permit.