‘Don’t cut power to encroached land yet’

Taking a lenient view due to the upcoming annual school exams, the Madras High Court on Monday directed authorities not to cut power supply to the houses built on encroached land in Bethel Nagar, Injambakkam.

The first bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice PD Audikesavalu granted the interim relief while hearing a contempt petition seeking a direction to punish officials who failed to implement the court order of 2019 directing them to remove encroachments in Bethel Nagar.

During the hearing on Monday, Additional Advocate General J Ravindran informed that the government disconnected 107 power connections extended to commercial establishments. However, appearing for Bethel Nagar Residents Welfare Association (BRWA), senior counsel NGR Prasad said there were about 3,500 families residing there for whom the government had provided power supply about 25 years ago. “The children who are preparing for annual examination would suffer if the power connections are snapped,” he told the bench.

Recording the submissions, the court lauded the government’s effort to disconnect power supply to commercial establishments, but asked it not to snap connections for the residential buildings as children have to prepare for the examinations.

Acting CJ then directed the counsel to furnish details of encroachers to the AAG so that the government could allot alternative places for them.