An activist has urged the Coimbatore City Corporation to reclaim and develop an encroached open space reservation (OSR) land parcel located on Sri Ramakrishna Layout in ward 22. The demand follows a landmark ruling by the Madras High Court on April 16, which dismissed all pleas filed by the layout developer, Narayanasamy, thereby clearing the path for the civic body to take action.
Background of the Land Dispute
According to RTI activist S P Thiyagarajan, the Department of Town and Country Planning approved the 3.50-acre Sri Ramakrishna Layout in 1990, comprising 33 individual plots. As per the planning norms, 10% of the total land was designated as OSR land. This included 36 cents earmarked for a park and 3 cents for common access. However, Thiyagarajan alleged that the developer, Narayanasamy, submitted a fraudulent layout plan to the Local Planning Authority in 2018 in an attempt to regularize the park site. The plan sought to convert the OSR land into 10 residential plots.
Exposure and Legal Action
The fraudulent scheme was exposed through an RTI disclosure filed by Thiyagarajan. Following the disclosure and subsequent public complaints, the authorities revoked the regularization order. Civic officials then issued eviction notices, demolished the unauthorized structures, and fenced off the area to prevent further encroachment.
Challenging the eviction, Narayanasamy filed three petitions before the Madras High Court. He sought to overturn the cancellation of the regularization order and demanded Rs 30 lakh in compensation from the civic body for the demolition of his property. However, a division bench of the high court recently dismissed all three petitions, removing all legal hurdles for the corporation to proceed with the development of the land.
Current Status and Demand
Despite the clear court directive, the corporation has failed to initiate any development work on the site, the activist said. Thiyagarajan emphasized, "The corporation should soon build a public park on the plot." He warned that any further delay by the civic body might allow the encroacher to approach the Supreme Court, jeopardizing the community's access to vital public lung spaces. The OSR land is crucial for providing green cover and recreational space in the densely populated residential area.
The activist has called upon the city corporation to act swiftly and develop the land into a park as originally intended, ensuring that the public's right to open spaces is protected. He also urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any further encroachment attempts.
