IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 16-02-2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE V. LAKSHMINARAYANAN and WMP Nos. 2580, 2583, 2584, 2937 & 2941 of 2026 W.P. No. 2328 of 2026:-

R.Kanagaraj ..Petitioner(s)

Vs.

1.The Commissioner Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation, Tiruppur- 641 604.

2.The District Collector Tiruppur District, Tiruppur- 641 604.

3.The Principal Secretary to Government Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Secretariat, Chennai- 600 009.

..Respondent(s)

Prayer : This petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, calling for the records relating to the impugned Notification issued by the Commissioner, Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation made in P.O.No.16/2026 Se.Ma.Tho.A/2026/Tiruppur dated 16.01.2026 and quash the same and consequently, to direct the 1^st and 2^nd respondents to fix the fair and affordable rent to the shops in Tiruppur Corporation Daily Flower Market, Eswaran Koil Street, Tiruppur, within a reasonable period.

For Petitioner(s): Mr.T. Ranganathan For Respondent(s): Mr. M.Suresh Kumar, AAG Asst. by Mr.Abishek Moorthy - R1 Mr. L.S.M. Hasan Fizal-AGP-R2 Dr. T. Seenivasan-SGP-R3 W.P. No. 2693 of 2026:-

Rajesh … Petitioner Vs.

1.The Director of Municipal Administration Office of the Directorate of Municipal Administration No.75, Urban Administrative Building Santhome High Road, MRC Nagar Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai-600 028.

2.The Commissioner Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation Tiruppur. … Respondents Prayer : This petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, calling for the records of the 2^nd respondent relating to the tender notification in Reference No.Na.Ka.No.5688/2025/A1 dated 13.01.2026 insofar as to Serial No.3 and quash the same and consequently direct the Respondents to fix daily shop rents for the shops in Flower Market Complex, Zone No.3, Tiruppur Municipal Corporation.

For Petitioner(s): Mr.S.Arjun For Respondent(s): Dr. T. Seenivasan-SGP-R1 Mr. M.Suresh Kumar, AAG Asst. by Mr.Abishek Moorthy - R2

COMMON ORDER

W.P. No. 2328 of 2026 and W.P. No. 2693 of 2026 have been filed challenging the tender called by the Commissioner, Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation, Tiruppur, bringing the Tiruppur Corporation Daily Flower Market, Eswaran Koil Street, Tiruppur, for auction. As both the writ petitions relate to the same market and challenge the same impugned tender notification bringing the right to collect fees in the market for auction, I clubbed the same together and heard them.

2. I heard Mr.T.Ranganathan for the petitioner in W.P. No. 2328 of 2026 and Mr.S.Arjun for the petitioner in W.P. No. 2693 of 2026. I heard Mr.M.Suresh Kumar, learned Additional Advocate General assisted by Mr.Abishek Moorthy for the first respondent, Mr.L.S.M.Hasan Fizal, learned Additional Government Pleader for the second respondent and Dr.T.Seenivasan, learned Special Government Pleader for the third respondent.

3. The petitioners claim to be in the trade of selling flowers in the Tiruppur area. Originally, the flower market was situated in Easwaran Koil Street. The respondents proposed to avail the benefit under the Smart City Scheme, and pulled down the existing market, and put up a new one therein. The flower vendors were temporarily shifted till the construction was completed. For the period from 2022 to 2025, the right to collect fees from those occupying the market was auctioned. It went for a sum of Rs.2.5 crores. In terms of the prevailing orders of the Government, for the subsequent years i.e., 2026-2029, the amount that the successful tenderer/auctioner has to pay to the Corporation was increased by 5% over the previous year. On account of the enhancement, the successful auctioner started demanding higher rent from the writ petitioners and others utilizing the market. This gave rise to a flurry of writ petitions. The present writ petitions relate to the period commencing from

01.04.2026 till 31.03.2029.

4. It is the plea of the petitioners, that giv