The petitioners have filed this Writ Petition challenging Ext.P3 proceedings of the second respondent rejecting their application for permission to construct a commercial building in their property. Their application has been rejected on the ground that the proposed construction is in violation of the Master Plan of the Municipality, and therefore no permission could be granted to construct a commercial building over the same. 2. According to the learned counsel for the petitioners, the ground on which Ext.P3 has been issued is unsustainable. It is contended that, there has been no land acquisition proceedings initiated pursuant to the Master Plan that is said to be applicable to the Municipality. In the light of the law laid down by the apex court, rejection of the petitioners' request on the said ground is unsustainable. In view of the above, they seek the issue of appropriate orders setting aside Ext.P3.
3. It is not in dispute that though the Master Plan has W.P.(C) No.23708 of 2013 -:2:-
been in existence for quite some time, no proceedings for acquisition of the land have been initiated in implementation of the said scheme.
4. Having considered the rival contentions of the contesting parties, it has to be held that Ext.P3 is unsustainable in view of the dictum laid down by the apex court in Raju S.Jethmalani and others v. State of Maharashtra and others [(2005) 11 SCC 222]. The petitioners cannot be prevented from putting thier property to any use on the ground that there is a Master Plan in existence which has not been implemented for a long time. For the above reason, Ext.P3 is set aside.
This Writ Petition is accordingly disposed of, directing the second respondent to consider the application submitted by the petitioners afresh, after conducting an inspection of the petitioners' land to verify whether the land is a paddy field and thereafter, to pass appropriate orders on the application in accordance with law. Appropriate orders as indicated above shall be passed, as expeditiously as possible and at any rate within a W.P.(C) No.23708 of 2013 -:3:-
period of one month of the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.
Sd/-
K.SURENDRA MOHAN, JUDGE.
rkc.