The Madras High Court has directed the State government to constitute a permanent Special Task Force (STF) chaired by an “efficient, devoted and honest” official not below the rank of Additional Chief Secretary for conducting periodical inspections and surveys of government lands across the State to free them from burgeoning encroachments.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Venugopal and S. Vaidyanathan ordered that the STF be formed within three months and it should comprise secretaries from departments of public works, highways, commissioner of land administration, commissioner of department of survey, Tangedco chairperson, Managing Director of TWAD Board and top police officials.
The judges ordered that similar teams be formed in every district with the Collector, revenue officials and police officers as their members. “The STF shall conduct periodic inspections, field survey and create boundary marks in respect of vacant government lands,” the judges ordered while disposing of a PIL petition filed by advocate V.B.R. Menon.
“The government shall also create QR/ Bar Code and update all the details in the Code... The said exercise can also be implemented in respect of private lands so that by a click of a button, necessary information such as name of the person who granted the planning person, sketch, entire layout, etc. can be accessed,” they directed.
Whenever the STF comes across encroachment of government lands, such encroachements should be removed without showing any indulgence or sympathy.
It should further make sure that inquiries with regard to encroachments are completed quickly and also prevent individuals from encroaching upon public properties.
‘Register FIRs’
If there was any resistance from the encroachers at the time of evicting them, such protesters must be dealt with an iron hand. “First Information Reports can be registered against them, by citing this order, for preventing the government officials from discharging their duties and other offences,” the Bench said.
The court also empowered the chairperson of the STF to verify previous orders passed by government officials in connection with regularisation of encroachments and initiate appropriate action against the erring officers. “Action may be taken for dismissal from service and even to strip off the post of IAS.
“Only when the punishment is strict will officials be more serious in discharging their official work out of fear,” the judges observed. They made it clear that the government should fix the responsibility of removing encroachments on the chairperson of STF and his team and any negligence or lethargic attitude should be viewed seriously.
The chairperson was further directed to report to the Chief Secretary every month regarding the progress made on removal of encroachments and forward a copy of such reports to the Registrar General of the High Court. The petitioner was also given liberty to obtain copies of such reports for taking follow up action.
The STF was directed to create a helpline for receiving complaints regarding encroachments from the people.