The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Madurai Corporation Commissioner to file a report on the procedure followed in granting license/lease to shops belonging to the corporation.
A division bench of Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana and Justice P. Velmurugan sought a report on whether the same procedure was followed for each zone and whether the license was renewed from time to time and whether there was any revision in the rent. .
The judges wanted to know whether a standard format was being followed by the authorities. The court was hearing a petition filed by Madurai’s SS Kumaran, who runs a food stall in a shop allotted to him opposite the Government Rajaji Hospital.
He had challenged the eviction notice issued to him by the Madurai Corporation. The petitioner submitted that he was allotted the shop in 2005 and till date he is duly paying the rent. He also said that he was dependent on food stalls.
He said that he paid the rent and tax on time and did not encroach on the margin of the road. Further, he said that his shop used to cater to the needs of those visiting GRH and others.
The petitioner submitted that the eviction notice was issued on the ground that though the license of the shop was in his name, it was being operated by one Mohammed Muthu. He said that Mohd Muthu was an employee who assisted him in running the food stall.
There is no record available with the Madurai Corporation that the shop was sub-leased, he said, adding that the corporation officials had arbitrarily terminated his license without giving him an opportunity to be heard.
The court ordered status quo to be maintained and directed the Madurai Municipal Commissioner to file an affidavit in the court within two weeks’ time.
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