HC warns surveyors for failing to act on land applications

Madurai: Taking a serious view over the delay to act on the representations submitted by two people seeking to survey and demarcate their land in Trichy district, the Madras high court warned to impose cost against the concerned surveyors and sought explanation on the reasons for the delay.The court was hearing the petitions filed by M Thangavel and V Subramanian, residents of Manachanallur taluk in Trichy district. The petitioners had submitted representations to the authorities in May 2022 requesting to survey and demarcate their lands situated at Thiruppangali village. They also paid necessary fees for the survey. Since the authorities had not acted upon the representations, the petitioners filed the present petitions.The government advocate submitted that the petitioners have not produced the relevant documents enabling the authorities to identify their properties to proceed with the survey. It was further submitted that notice was sent to the petitioners calling upon them to produce the relevant documents.Justice B Pugalenthi observed that the conduct of authorities in this case discloses the manner in which the survey department is functioning. Though the petitioners submitted their representations in 2022, the survey department has neither taken any action nor called upon the petitioners to produce the relevant documents, for the past one year. After filing of the petitions, they have chosen to issue notice calling upon the petitioners to produce the documents.Therefore, this court is inclined to allow these writ petitions with a cost of 10,000 each payable by the concerned surveyors, to the petitioners towards litigation expenses. Before imposing cost, the judge suo motu impleaded Radhika, head surveyor of Manachanallur taluk and Ragupathi who is the firka surveyor as respondents in these petitions, to ascertain the reasons for not responding to the representations given by the petitioners.The case was posted on July 13.