2026:MHC:688 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 16.02.2026 C O R A M THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE S.M.SUBRAMANIAM AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.KUMARAPPAN W.P.Nos.18079, 18011, 18086, 18119, 18733, 19273, 20084, 20091, 20353 of 2021 and W.M.P.Nos.19310, 19312, 19313, 19248, 19317, 19318 19319, 19321, 19331, 19347, 19348, 19999, 20580, 20583, 21347, 21348, 21351, 21362, 21364, 21365, 21597, 21607 and 21608 of 2021 W.P.No.18079 of 2021 Navamani … Petitioner -vs-

1. The Principal Secretary to Government, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Fort St.George, Chennai - 600 009.

2. The Commissioner of Land Administration, Ezhilagam, Chepauk, Chennai-600 005.

3. The District Collector, Kancheepuram District. 4. The District Collector, Chengalpattu District.

5. The Tahsildar, Tambaram Taluk, Chengalpattu District.

6. The Special Officer, Vengaivasal Panchayat, St.Thomas Mount Panchayat Union, Chengalpattu District. ... Respondent (R6 suo motu impleaded vide order dated 16.09.2021)

Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying to call for the records pertaining to the impugned order dated 4.8.2021 in G.O.Ms. 500 issued by the First Respondent and quash the same and consequently direct the fifty Respondent issue Patta to the petitioner with regard to property in Survey No.78/1A, New Survey No.78/19Bvof an extent of 3015 sq.ft situate at 2/66 Vengaivasal Main Road, Vengaivasal Village, Santhoshapuram, Tambaram Taluk Chengalpet District.

For Petitioners : Ms.R.Nandhini (in all)

For Respondents : Mr.T.Arun Kumar Addl. Govt. Pleader (in all)

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C O M M O N O R D E R

(By S.M.SUBRAMANIAM,J.,)

The present writ petitions have been instituted to assail the Government Order issued in G.O.Ms.No.500 Revenue and Disaster Management Land Disposal Department dated 04.08.2021.

2. The Revenue Authorities identified encroachments in respect of Government Meikal promboke lands (grazing land) in S.No.78/1 Vengaivasal Village, Tambaram, Chenglepet District. Eviction proceedings have been initiated under the Tamil Nadu Encroachments Act, 1905. Section 7 notice came to be issued and after affording opportunity, final notice under section 6 was issued. Aggrieved encroachers preferred an appeal under Section 10 of the Land Encroachment Act before the District Collector, who in turn, rejected the same. Thereafter, the revision came to be filed before the Government and the Government considered the issue elaborately and rejected the claim of the encroachers through the impugned Government order in G.O.Ms.No.500 dated 04.08.2021.

3. Pertinently, in respect of the other encroachers, in the same survey number, the Division Bench of this Court considered and passed an order on 10.10.2017 in W.P.Nos.26364 to 26376 of 2017. The said order has been considered by the Government in the present impugned order issued in G.O.Ms.No.500. Therefore, the petitioners have exhausted all the remedies contemplated under the Statute and the Government repeatedly considered the issue and found that the Government lands are valuable and falling nearby Chennai City and cannot be parted with. Thus, the claim of the encroachers for grant of patta was rejected.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioners would mainly contend that the Government discriminated the petitioners in the matter of grant of free house site pattas. Certain adjacent encroachers could able to secure patta. However, the petitioners were unable to succeed before the Government and therefore, they have filed the present writ petitions.

5. Learned Additional Government Pleader would oppose by stating that the grant of free house site pattas under the Scheme in favour of other persons would not constitute a ground to claim free pattas by these petitioners. The Government found that the valuable lands are utilised for commercial purpose by these petitioners and most of the encroachments are on the road and those encroachments would cause obstructions for fr