CHENNAI: A group of farmers from Tirupur have moved the Madras high court challenging the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, stating that it is unconstitutional as lands of several farmers are being taken over by competent authorities to erect high tension electric mast towers without any consultation.
The farmers cited that a power transmission project is being planned with overhead lines carrying power generated by giant towers installed on farmlands across Tirupur. They contended that the provisions of the Act cannot empower the district magistrate to exercise power and allow such towers to be set up as they cause permanent damage to arable land.
According to V Lakshminarayanan, counsel for the petitioners, the towers occupy substantial area of land and in a manner that permanently deprives the landowner of usage of the space. “When the legislation was framed way back in 1885, even those framing the law wouldn’t have anticipated such huge towers being erected for electricity transmission now,” Lakshminarayanan stated.
A division bench of chief justice A P Sahi and justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy clubbed a similar plea made at the Madurai bench and adjourned the hearing on the plea to November 27.