IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 12.12.2025

CORAM :

THE HONOURABLE MR. MANINDRA MOHAN SHRIVASTAVA,

CHIEF JUSTICE

AND

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.ARUL MURUGAN

W.P.No.26636 of 2025

and

W.M.P.No.29943 of 2025

D.Nandhagopal,

S/o.Devaraj,

No.78/2, Vellore Road,

Punganur Village & Post,

Arcot Taluk,

Ranipet District - 632 507. .. Petitioner

Vs.

1.The Commissioner of Land Administration,

Ezhilagam, Chepauk,

Chennai - 600 005.

2.The Secretary to Government,

Revenue and Disaster Management Department,

Survey and Settlement Wing,

Secretariat, Fort St.George,

Chennai - 600 009.

3.The District Collector,

Ranipet District, Ranipet.

4.The Tahsildar,

Arcot Taluk, Arcot,

Ranipet District.

5.The Block Development Officer, Thimiri Union, Thimiri, Arcot Taluk, Ranipet District. .. Respondents PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking issuance of a writ of Mandamus forbearing the respondents 3 and 4 from converting the meikaal poramboke / grazing lands for the purpose of granting house patta to the individuals contrary to the order dated 02.02.2022 passed by this court in W.P.No.19286/2021 and consequentially grant an order of injunction from putting up any construction in S.No.255 situated at Punganur Village, Arcot Taluk, Ranipet District.

For Petitioner : Mr.P.Krishnan For Respondents : Mr.M.Habeeb Rahman Government Advocate For respondent Nos.1 to 5 ORDER (Order of the Court was made by G.Arul Murugan, J.)

This writ petition is filed seeking to forbear the authorities from converting the meikkal poramboke / grazing lands in Survey No.255 situated at Punganur Village, Arcot Taluk, Ranipet District, for the purpose of granting house site pattas to the individuals.

2. The petitioner claims to be the resident of Punganur Village and also an elected member of the Village Panchayat. It is the case of the petitioner that the Village Panchayat has a population of more than 10,000 people and livelihood of the villagers mainly depends on farming and raising cattle. An extent of 386.99 acres [140.07.5 hectares of land] in Survey No.255 of Punganur Village is classified as grazing lands in the revenue documents. Apart from this Village, even the cattle from the neighbouring villages are brought for grazing in the above lands.

3. Further, a tank has also been formed for storing drinking water for the cattle. Only recently the petitioner came to know that the lands were sub-divided into Survey No.255/2A and 255/1A1A. The sub-division was carried out for the purpose of providing free house site pattas to 49 persons. Any conversion and grant of patta in the grazing land is in violation of Clauses 15(5) and 21(6) of the Revenue Standing Orders. The action of the respondents in providing house site pattas by converting the grazing land is in violation of the dictum laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Hence, the petitioner had come up with the above writ petition.

4. Mr.P.Krishnan, learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the land classified as grazing land cannot be used for any other purpose and it has to be protected as grazing land as held by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Jagpal Singh Vs. State of Punjab reported in 2011 11 SCC 396. When the entire land in Survey No.255 is classified and recorded as grazing land, any action of the authorities in converting the land and providing patta for house site would be in violation of the Revenue Standing Orders and the dictum of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

5. Contending contra, Mr.M.Habeeb Rahman, learned Government Advocate for the respondents relying on the counter affidavit submitted that the land originally stood classified as ‘hill poramboke’ and during the survey and resettlement, mistakenly it was entered as ‘grazing ground’, but the error was rectified even in the year 1979 under the UDR Scheme. Nearly for the past 4 decades, the lands have been classified and recorded in the revenue records as ‘hill poramboke’. Further, when a vast extent of land is available in Survey