The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to file an action-taken report within two weeks on encroachments, illegal parking, unauthorised automobile repair works and inadequate footpaths in Chennai’s Teynampet area.
A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice R Rajesh Vivekananthan criticised the authorities for failing to show the same urgency in providing civic infrastructure as they do in collecting taxes and other statutory charges. The observations were made while hearing a plea filed by Saju Alex concerning Scheme Road in Ellaimman Colony, Teynampet.
“When a citizen fails to remit property tax or electricity charges, the authorities swiftly initiate coercive action, including disconnection of services. However, the same alacrity is not shown in discharging their corresponding duty to provide better civic infrastructure,” the bench said, according to the court proceedings reported by Times of India.
The judges said that the collection of property tax, water tax and licence fees by the GCC creates a corresponding obligation to provide services to city residents. They also referred to infrastructure charges, planning permission charges and other statutory levies, which are enhanced periodically, while saying that basic services such as motorable roads, encroachment-free footpaths and other amenities linked to public health and citizen welfare remain grossly inadequate.
The court said the situation required serious consideration and immediate attention from both the state government and the corporation. It directed the authorities to identify strategically important locations and ensure that footpaths in those areas are cleared of encroachments. The stated objectives are to enable the free flow of traffic and allow pedestrians and other road users to use footpaths.
The proceedings also referred to earlier directions issued by the court on April 28, 2025. The bench said the corporation and police authorities had remained insensitive to those directions and were attempting to take undue advantage of long intervals between listings. The court said such a practice would not be encouraged.
The GCC and police authorities have been given two weeks to submit an action-taken report and details of proposed measures for improving infrastructure and clearing encroached footpaths for residents in and around the affected areas. The hearing has been adjourned to October 26.
