Aren't you ashamed, Madras HC asks Chennai Corporation over rampant corruption
Bench directed the GCC to file the details of wealth and assets owned by its officials
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC)
CHENNAI: Coming down heavily on the Greater Chennai Corporation, ward councillors, civic body officials, and also police personnel, the Madras High Court said they were collecting bribes from builders and others who violate rules by encroaching on lands.
Summoning the Corporation Commissioner to appear before it, the court also directed the civic body to file the details of the wealth and assets owned by its officials as per service rules.
"Are you not ashamed of collecting money from builders for letting them have a free hand to encroach on others’ properties," a division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice AD Maria Clete asked Corporation officials while hearing a public interest litigation.
The PIL alleged that that a public road was encroached by private individuals with the connivance of officials.
Assistant engineers, ward councillors, and police personnel could be seen at sites where new constructions are coming up, said the bench.
“What are they doing there? Isn't it for collecting bribe,” it asked the advocate who appeared for the government.
The advocate submitted that the Corporation was taking steps to curb unauthorised constructions and encroachments. However, the bench was not satisfied with the submission and observed that almost all buildings in the city were encroachments. “Can the Corporation object this fact,” it asked.
The city has now become a concrete jungle which makes the residents restless, and the encroachments were adding to it, the court said.
The bench then directed the Corporation Commissioner to appear before the court to submit an affidavit explaining the actions taken to prevent unauthorised buildings and encroachments. It also directed the Corporation to file the wealth and assets of its officials as per service rules, and posted the matter to October 3 for further submission.
The PIL was moved by S Sreenivasan from Villivakkam alleging that an individual encroached a public road using forged documents. He also alleged that Corporation officials helped the individual to encroach the public road and sought a direction to the department concerned to survey the property and demarcate the boundaries.