Tamil Nadu Rs 1,200 Crore Secretariat Plan: Madras HC Allows PIL Withdrawal
The Madras High Court allowed withdrawal of a PIL challenging Tamil Nadu’s proposed Rs 1,200 crore Secretariat at Foreshore Estate after questioning its legal basis.
The Madras High Court has allowed the withdrawal of a public interest litigation challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to construct a new Secretariat at Foreshore Estate in Chennai.
The petition, filed by advocate RS Tamilvendan, claimed the proposed project would cost around Rs 1,200 crore and alleged that using public money for the construction would be wasteful. It also raised concerns about the interests of fishermen living in the area.
A bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan questioned the legal basis of the PIL and asked whether the petitioner had challenged the government order relating to the proposed Secretariat.
The court also referred to an earlier legal challenge over shifting the Secretariat in 2011, noting that the High Court had rejected that plea and the Supreme Court had upheld the decision.
The judges questioned how the petitioner had established that the proposed project would adversely affect the public or result in a waste of public funds.
After the bench indicated that substantial costs could be imposed, the petitioner’s counsel sought permission to withdraw the case. The court then dismissed the PIL as withdrawn.
The order closes this particular legal challenge, although the proposed Secretariat project itself remains a matter of public and political debate in Tamil Nadu.
