Date:14/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/14/stories/2008051459631200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Court appoints panel to process job claims

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered the appointment of a screening committee to process the claims for jobs by those who lost their land at Narasingapuram, Mukundarayapuram, Sikkarajapuram and Vadakkal villages in the north Arcot area when Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited set up its boiler axillaries project at Ranipet.

On a batch of writ petitions that sought a directive to BHEL to consider the appointment of the petitioners in preference to others in the Class III and IV categories and restrain the company from appointing persons other than the land losers, Justice K. Chandru ordered the appointment of the committee comprising revenue officials and BHEL officers.

He said the committee should examine the claims within three months and submit its recommendation to BHEL . “Till this exercise is completed, BHEL cannot proceed with any other appointment to the categories which the land losers are eligible. If some of them could not be employed, BHEL shall direct the contractors to engage them.”

Justice Chandru also directed the Collector to notify the constitution of the committee and give it adequate publicity so that the land losers could appear before it.

He said it was unfortunate that BHEL had walked out of the peace talks conducted by the Collector. The reasons it had cited did not stand legal scrutiny.

Through a January 27, 1981 Government Order, the Tamil Nadu government had acquired 1,389 acres in these villages and handed it over to BHEL. The order promised jobs for the land losers.