Changes to law on unauthorised construction quashed

Chennai, Aug 23 (UNI) The Madras High Court today declared as ultravires of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution the amendments to Section 113-A of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, which pertained to regularisation of unauthorised constructions.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Mr Justice K Chandru declared as ultravires, the amendments by altering Acts 31 of 2000, 17 of 2001 and 7 of 2002 and conseqential amendments to the Application Assessment and Collection of Regularisation Fee (Chennai Metropolitan Area) Rules 1999.

Passing orders on a batch of petitions on unauthorised constructions, the bench said all orders for regularisation passed pursuant to the amended provisions stood quashed. Such applications by violators would be considered afresh in the light of the observations made in this judgement, the bench added.

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