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Chennai Corpn. seeks to reclaim land `encroached on by Karunanidhi'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI MAY 30. The ruling AIADMK in the Chennai Corporation today pushed through a resolution reclaiming an alleged encroachment of land by the former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi at Gopalapuram.

The Deputy Mayor, `Karate' R. Thiagarajan, admitted the resolution brought in by the Town Planning Committee chairman, P. Vetrivel, amid vociferous protests from almost all Opposition councillors, who were taken by surprise at the last-minute inclusion of the subject. All DMK councillors, who protested the resolution and raised slogans against the "undemocratic ways" of the AIADMK were evicted. Members of the Congress, the MDMK, the CPI, CPI (M), the Tamil Maanila Desiya League and the lone independent staged a walkout. The BJP councillors too registered their dissent.

The resolution was read out by the Deputy Mayor, invoking rules 55, 56 and 61 of the Code of Conduct of the Council, after he had hurriedly passed several resolutions pertaining to development works without allowing any debate. (Rule 55 states any councillor can move a resolution which relates to the Corporation. Rule 56 states it is the Mayor's discretion to include any resolution. Rule 61 states any resolution must be given at least eight days in advance of a meeting; however the Mayor can reduce the notice period citing the reason.)

The resolution sought the Chennai Collector's intervention to reclaim a 780-sq.ft. land adjoining Mr. Karunanidhi's residence. According to the resolution, the former Chief Minister acquired the land in 1967 after paying Rs. 3,250 to the Collectorate. Subsequently, in 1969, based on Mr.Karunanidhi's undertaking the assignment was cancelled. However, the land is yet to be handed back to the Government.

The DMK councillors expressed `shock' that the resolution had not even figured as a "table agenda" and demanded that they be given an opportunity to look at relevant files. The Opposition leader, C.V. Malayan, said the resolution was framed with a political motive. "This is the first time in the history of the elected council that a resolution has been passed with reference to an individual politician, and it smacked of political vendetta."

Terming the introduction of the resolution at the fag-end of the meeting `illegal' and undemocratic, the DMK whip, P.V. Kalyanasundaram, said copies must be given to the councillors at least six days in advance. He quoted from Schedule Two of the Madras City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919. Under Rule 3.(1)A, "no meeting unless at least six clear days before the day of the meeting - notice of the day and hour when the meeting is to be held and of the business to be transacted thereat has been given to the members".

Mr. Kalyanasundaram said that only a sewer line passed through the land which came under the purview of Metrowater and not the Corporation. He quoted from a letter written by the Special Officer from the Survey Section of the Works department to the Special Officer and another one from the Commissioner to the Revenue Secretary, both dated 1978, to substantiate his argument.

The DMK councillors rushed to the well and literally gheraoed the Corporation Commissioner and the Deputy Mayor, stressing that the resolution must not be passed, given the extremely short notice. When Mr. Thiagarajan ordered their eviction, the DMK councillors walked out, raising slogans condemning the "high-handedness of Mr.Thiagarajan and Mr. Vetrivel".

While presenting the reasons for the resolution, Mr. Vetrivel also said Mr. Karunanidhi had deviated from the original plan for his new CIT Colony residence. Further, the revised plan was not accurate, and hence was denied the completion certificate.

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