Evict govt staff from home allotted by TNHB: Madras HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered authorities to evict an allottee of a Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) house for evading payment. It also ordered demolition of illegal constructions made upon it.The order was recently passed by Justice SM Subramaniam on a writ appeal filed by R Rajendran, a government employee. The petition was filed in 2012 challenging TNHB’s eviction notice. 

He was allotted the house with 2,400 sq ft space at Annathanapatty in Salem district for a cost of Rs 5.99 lakh in 1998. The initial deposit to be made was Rs 2.39 lakh and the balance paid in 10 years. After he paid Rs 26,870 towards the initial deposit in the same year, the house was handed over to him. In 2002, a complaint was sent to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption by one Muruganandam alleging that Rajendran had forged documents for availing of housing loan.

Following the complaint, the executive engineer (EE) of TNHB locked the house but the petitioner broke it open and reoccupied it. When the EE took action for evicting him by serving show-cause notices, he approached the district consumer redressal forum and the civil court, but the petitions were dismissed. Even then, he did not vacate the house. 

The petitioner had paid only Rs 71,660 in the last 23 years against dues of Rs 55,10,239 which included the actual cost and the interest. Justice Subramaniam ordered the TNHB authorities to evict the petitioner by following procedures and recover the arrears of dues. He directed municipal officials to conduct an inspection and demolish illegal constructions in four weeks if illegalities or violations are found.