Madras HC directs state to counter retired IPS officer's plea to receive house under Kanavu Illam scheme
The retired IPS officer qualified for a house under the Kanavu Illam scheme based on the author criteria
Madras High Court (File)
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State to hold the decision rejecting the allotment of house to retired IPS officer G Thilagavathy under the Kanavu Illam scheme, followed by a modification in criteria.
Justice S Sounthar heard the petition moved by Thilagavathy, the first woman IPS officer of the State, seeking to quash the government order regarding modifying criteria for the Kanavu Illam scheme, which excluded her from getting the house under the scheme.
After hearing the case, the judge directed the State and Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) to file a counter to the petition and posted the matter to February 11. The court granted an interim order restraining the State from allotting the house earmarked for the petitioner to another beneficiary.
Thilagavathy submitted that in 2022, the State had announced the Kanavu Illam scheme on the 97th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. The scheme honoured Tamil scholars who were Gnana Peeth, Sahitya Akademi, and National or State level literary awardees with special house allotments.
Thilagavathy said, "Being a writer and researcher of Tamil language, culture and history, I have authored more than three hundred short stories, novels and poems, including 'Kalmaran' which was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2005 and received best short story State award in the year 1988-89 for Theiyumo Sooriyan and Arasigal Azhuvathillai."
As the petitioner is qualified for the scheme based on this criterion, the State allotted a house for her at Anna Nagar with a built-in flat area of 1,409 square feet. However, in 2024, the State modified the criteria that the awardee becomes ineligible to receive the allotment if they had purchased a flat or plot from TNHB. The modification excluded her from the scheme as she already received a house in the TAISHA complex at Virugambakkam.
She contended that the modification defeats the scheme's objective of honouring awardees for their outstanding contribution to the Tamil legacy. She submitted that she did not receive the TAISHA house with concession but bought it at market price and sought to quash the government order and grant her the house under the scheme.
