Madurai: Disposing of a plea which sought to stop the work carried out under the Smart City project

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by C Nethaji Karthikeyan, founder of NGO Ilam Kaalaigal Trust, who said that construction of a convention centre, which is under way would reduce the size of the ground.
The corporation commissioner in his counter-affidavit stated that Tamukkam ground extends to 9.65acres. The Kalaiarangam which was constructed in 1962 is in a dilapidated condition, so a new convention centre is being constructed for Rs 45.55 crore with all basic amenities for conduct of conventions and exhibitions.

Apart from the constructed area, the remaining 5.60 acres of ground would be left intact for conduct of the Chithirai festival exhibition, book fair and other open air exhibitions. The proposed convention centre could also be used for setting up of stalls during exhibitions.
Taking cognizance of the submissions, a division bench of justice M Sathyanarayanan and justice P Rajamanickam observed that by considering the ancient and historical nature of the ground, the corporation should ensure that the construction work is qualitative in nature and also ensure that it is completed within the fixed timeframe.