Chennai, June 25: Tamil Nadu government today alleged that the Centre's April 22 notification banning demolition and construction of buildings along the sea coast, by amending coastal regulation zone rules, was a "misuse" of power by a political rival of the ruling AIADMK government and "vitiated by bias." Concluding his arguments on a batch of petitions and appeals against the order and its stay by a single judge, the State Advocate General N R Chandran charged Union Minister for environment and forests T R Baalu, a senior DMK leader, with misusing his power. Besides, the decision to amend the rules was not a cabinet decision, a fact that had not been denied, he said.


The petitions are being heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice B Subhashan Reddy and Justice K Govindarajan.


The state government had decided in early April to relocate the All Womens' Queen Mary's College, situated near the famous Marina Beach, and construct a new State Secretariat at the site. Pointing out that prior to amending rules and regulations, a draft had to be issued and objections called for, the AG alleged the Centre had violated the rules by dispensing with the procedure. He claimed that a reading of the CRZ rules made it clear that restrictions could be imposed only in respect of industrial activity.

Bureau Report