W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 22.08.2025 CORAM THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.SARAVANAN W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 Sethumani ... Petitioner Vs. 1.The Director of Town and Country Planning, Office of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Second, Third and Fourth Floor, C and E Market Road, Koyambedu, Chennai- 600 107. 2.The Member Secretary, Madurai Town and Country Planning Authority, Madurai, Madurai District. 3.The Commissioner, Madurai Corporation, Madurai. ...Respondents Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Declaration, declaring that the reservation of area shown for scheme Road situate in S.No.116/3B & 116/8B at Uthangudi Village, Madurai East in the Uthangudi South Detailed Development Plan No.3 as lapsed and deemed to be released as per Section 38 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971. 1/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 For Petitioner : Mr.K.K.Udayakumar For R1 & R2 : Mr.D.Ghandiraj Special Government Pleader For R3 : Mr.S.Vinayak Standing Counsel ORDER Mr.D.Ghandiraj, learned Special Government Pleader takes notice for the respondents 1 and 2 and Mr.S.Vinayak, learned Standing Counsel takes notice for the third respondent. 2. The learned Special Government Pleader submits that there is no proposal to develop the land pursuant to the Uthangudi South Detailed Development Plan No.3. The statement made by the learned Special Government Pleader for the respondents 1 and 2 is recorded. 3. The learned Special Government Pleader for the respondents 1 and 2 has also produced a copy of communication received from the second respondent. The content of which reads as under: “jpU.Sethumani> kJiu vd;gtuhy; njhlug;gl;l 2/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 nrd;id cah;ePjpkd;wk; kJiu fpis tof;F WP(MD)No. 22955 of 2025- y; 02-tJ gpujpthjpahf cjtp ,af;Feiu Nrh;f;fg;gl;Ls;sJ. 20.07.2020 Kjy; efh; Cuikg;G kJiu kz;ly efh; Cuikg;G mYtyfk; kw;Wk; kJiu cs;Sh; jpl;lf;FOkk; mYtyfk; xUq;fpizj;J kWrPuikf;fg;gl;L kJiu khtl;l efh; Cuikg;G mYtykhf nray;gLfpwJ. Nkw;gb mYtyfj;jpw;F cjtp ,af;Feh;/cWg;gpdh; nrayh; (ngh) mYtyuhf epakdk; nra;ag;gl;Ls;sJ. nrd;id cah;ePjkd;wk; kJiu fpis tof;F WP(MD)No.22955 of 2025 d; petitioner's affidavit ghprPyf;fg;gl;ljpy; jpU.Sethumani> vd;gtUf;F nrhe;jkhd rh;Nt vz;.116/3B, 116/8B, cj;jq;fFb fpuhkk;> kJiu khefuhl;rp> kJiu fpof;F tl;lk;> kJiu khtl;lj;jpy; mikfpwJ. Nkw;fz;l kDjhuuJ ,lk; xg;Gjyspf;fg;gl;l cj;jq;Fb njw;F tphpT mgptpUj;jp jpl;lk; vz;.3y; Detailed Development Plan Scheme Road Mf cj;Njrpf;fg;gl;Ls;sJ. mikfpwJ. vdNt kDjhuuJ kikaplj;jpid cj;jq;Fb tphpT mgptpUj;jp jpl;lk; vz;.3 xg;Gjyspf;fg;l;ljpypUe;J 5 tUlq;fSf;Fs; epyk; ifafg;gLj;jhjjhy; kDjhuh; kidaplj;jpy; Detailed Development Plan Scheme Road-; Mf mikAk; ,lj;jpid kl;Lk; ePf;fk; nra;J jUkhW jpU.Sethumani, kJiu vd;gtuhy; nrd;id cah;ePjpkd;wk; kJiu fpisapy; tof;F njhlug;gl;Ls;sJ. Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 (In Act 35 of 1974) Release of Land tpjp-d; gb if within three years from the date of the publication of the notice in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette under Section 26 or Section 27-(a) no declaration as provided in Sub-Section (2) of Section 37 is published in respect of any land reserved, allotted or designated for any purpose specified in a regional plan, master plan, detailed development plan or new town development plan covered by such notice, or (b) such land is not acquired by agreement, such land shall be deemed to be released from such reservation, allotment or designation. Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971- d; gb xg;Gjyspf;fg;gl;l cj;jq;Fb njw;F tphpT mgptpUj;jp jpl;lk; vz;.3 jkpo;ehL murpjopy; gpuRuk; nra;ag;gl;l ehspypUe;J 5 tUlq;fSf;Fs; epyk; ifafg;gLj;jg;gltpy;iy (Land Acquisition) vd;w tpguk; 3/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 rkh;g;gpf;fg;gLfpwJ.” 4. That apart, as per Section 38 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, if within three years from the date of publication of the notice in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette under Section 26 or 27 of the said Act, no declaration as provided under sub-section (2) of Section 37 of the said Act is published in respect of any land reserved, allotted, or designated for any purpose specified in a regional plan, master plan, detailed development plan, or new development plan covered by such notice, such land shall be deemed to have been released from reservation unless it has been acquired. 5. In the present case, no such acquisition has taken place till date. In a series of judgments of this Court, it has been consistently held that the reservation made in respect of land under the Kochadai Detailed Development Plan No.7 is deemed to have lapsed. This position has been affirmed in W.P. (MD)No.3937 of 2024, dated 21.02.2024 (B.Manikandan vs. The Director, Town and Country Planning and another) and W.P.(MD)No. 22577 of 2024, dated 24.09.2024 (E.Deepa and others vs. The Director of Town and 4/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 Country Planning and another). Accordingly, the land in question is deemed to have been released from reservation. 6. The Writ Petition stands allowed with the above observations. No costs. 22.08.2025 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No sn To 1.The Director of Town and Country Planning, Office of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Second, Third and Fourth Floor, C and E Market Road, Koyambedu, Chennai- 600 107. 2.The Member Secretary, Madurai Town and Country Planning Authority, Madurai, Madurai District. 3.The Commissioner, Madurai Corporation, Madurai. 5/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 C.SARAVANAN, J. sn W.P(MD).No.22955 of 2025 6/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P(MD)No.22955 of 2025 22.08.2025 7/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis