Revenue, DTCP officials begin to probe complaints of encroachments in Panjapur

Officials of the Directorate of Town and Country Plan (DTCP) and the Revenue Department have begun a study on the rapid growth in new layouts and the potential threat of encroaching government lands along the Tiruchi-Madurai highway in the wake of construction of the integrated bus terminus (IBT) at Panjapur

Officials of the Directorate of Town and Country Plan (DTCP) and the Revenue Department have begun a study on the rapid growth in new layouts and the potential threat of encroaching government lands along the Tiruchi-Madurai highway in the wake of construction of the integrated bus terminus (IBT) at Panjapur.

Since the announcement of the construction of IBT in 2021, the land prices at Panjapur began to increase. It went up after the Tiruchi Corporation began the construction of the bus terminus. The project attracted the attention of real estate developers, who were mainly focused on Tiruchi. Their focus was shifted to the villages situated along the Tiruchi-Madurai highway.

Citing the bus stand project, real estate promoters pumped in heavy investment to sell plots by forming layouts. The proposal to build TIDEL Park and integrated vegetable and fruit market and forming new road from Panjapur to Karur Bypass along the bund of the Koraiyar and the Kudamurity have further spurred the real estate boom in and around Panjapur.

The impact of the boom is said to felt around 25-km radius of Panjapur. According to industry sources, new layouts have sprung up in various villages such as Manikandam, Nagamangalam, and Alundur along both sides of the Tiruchi-Madurai Highway. The impact is felt up to Viralimalai, which is about 25 km from Tiruchi. Land prices have skyrocketed in Sethurapatti, Padugai, Mudikandam, Kallikudi, Rettamalai, Piratiyur, Dindigul Road, Olayur, Mathur, Pudukottai Road, and the Tiruchi International Airport.

According to official sources, more than 100 layouts, ranging from one acre to eight acres have come up over the last two years. Many more layouts are in the pipeline. Panjapur was once classified as inam poromboke land. By taking advantage of this, some people were allegedly trying to claim ownership of the government land while some others were trying to encroach it, thereby attracting the attention of the revenue, Tiruchi Corporation and the Directorate of Town and Country Planning officials.

Collector M. Pradeep Kumar told The Hindu that he had received various complaints of encroaching government lands by forging documents. It had identified the high-value government land and erected fence. It had put up notice boards at various places warning that encroachers would be prosecuted. Some had claimed ownership of the lands, which were fenced by the revenue officials. Hence, he had asked the revenue and DTCP officials to carry out a comprehensive study on the government and private lands. They would study the classification of land. Tough action would be taken against those trying to claim the ownership of government land by forging documents.

Mr. Pradeep Kumar said that the Revenue and the DTCP officials had been asked to submit a report. Follow up action would be taken based on the outcome of the report.