if not already declared these roads as non-vending zones, steps shall immediately be taken so, as these roads, in our considered view, could not be considered to be a vending zone because of the heavy movement of traffic. 9. These compliances shall be made and a compliance report be filed by the Greater Chennai Corporation, that is the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation during the next date of hearing. 10. Post these matters on 07.01.2026. (R.S.K., J.) (A.D.J.C., J.)

by Sekar Reporter · December 20, 2025

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 19.12.2025
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE Mr. JUSTICE R. SURESH KUMAR
AND
THE HONOURABLE Mr. JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA
W. P.Nos.14977, 16488, 16491, 15959,
16061, 14980, 16485 & 16489 of 2024
W.M.P.Nos.17421, 17422, 17571, 17572, 16266,
16271, 18056, 18061, 18063 & 18066 of 2024
WP No.14977 of 2024
P.Hemaganesh
S/o.Palani, No.10, 1st Floor, Door
No.9, Santhosh Apartments, Veerasamy Street, West
Mambalam, Chennai-033.
Petitioner Vs.
The Commissioner
Greater Chennai Corporation,
Ripon Buildings, Chennai-03. and
3 Others
Respondents
WP No. 16488 of 2024
SEKAR
S/o.Veliyappan, 54, Anna Street,
Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Old Pallavaram, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu-600 043.
Petitioner Vs.
The Commissioner,
Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, No.1131, Evr Periyar Salai, Chennai-600 003.
and 2 Others
Respondents
WP No. 16491 of 2024
MEENAKSHI
W/o.Govindaraj, Nageshwara Rao Road, T.Nagar, Chennai-600 017.
Petitioner
Vs.
The Commissioner,
Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, No.1131, Evr Periyar Salai, Chennai-600 003.
and 4 Others
Respondents
WP No. 15959 of 2024
P.Madhankumar
S/o Palani No D1, 3rdd Block
Shanthi Tower, No 4/88 Arcot
Road, Vadapalani Chennai 600
026
Petitioner Vs.
The State Of Tamil Nadu
Rep By Its Principal Secretary To
Government, Municipal
Administration And Water Supply
Department Fort St. George Respondents
Chenani 600 009 and 5 Others
WP No. 16061 of 2024
P.Hemaganesh
S/o Mr. Palani No 10, 1st Floor
Door No. Santhosh Apartments
Veerasamy Street, West
Mambalam Chennai 600 033 Petitioner
Vs.
The State Of Tamil Nadu
Rep By Its Principal Secretary To
Government, Municipal
Administration And Water Supply
Department Fort St. George
Chenani 600 009 and 5 Others
Respondents
WP No. 14980 of 2024
P.Madhankumar
S/o.Palani, No.D1, 3rd Block,
Shanthi Tower, No.4/88, Arcot Road, Vadapalani, Chennai-600 026.
Petitioner Vs.
The Commissioner
Greater Chennai Corporation,
Ripon Buildings, Chennai-600
003. and 3 Others
Respondent
WP No. 16485 of 2024
CHELLAMMAL
D/o.Chandrakesan, No.137, Rajapillai Garden, T.Nagar, Chennai-600 017.
Petitioner Vs.
The Commissioner,
Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, No.1131, Evr Periyar Salai, Chennai-600 003.
and 2 Others
Respondents
WP No. 16489 of 2024
S.Krishnaveni
W/o.Subramani, 49/22, Alayamman Kovil Street, Vanniya Teynampet, Chennai-600 019.
Petitioner Vs.
The Commissioner,
Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, No.1131, Evr Periyar Salai, Chennai-600 003.
and 2 Others
Respondents
For Petitioners: Mrs.Karthikaa Ashok
(in WP Nos.14977, 14980, 15959 and 16061 of 2024)
Mr.K.Lavan
(in WP Nos.16485, 16488, 16489 and 16491 of 2024)
For Respondents: Mr.J.Ravindran,
Additional Advocate General assisted by Mr.D.B.R.Prabhu Standing Counsel for Corporation (in all Wps)
Mr.S.Rajkumar,
Additional Public Prosecutor for R3 in WP Nos.16488 & 16489 of 2024
Mr.M.Murali
Government Advocate for R1 in
WP Nos.15959 and 16061 of 2024
Mr.D.Veerasekaran for R4 in
WP.No.16491 of 2024 and
R6 in WP No.15959 of 2024
COMMON ORDER (Order of the Court was made by R. SURESH KUMAR, J.)
Pursuant to our earlier orders, additional status report has been filed by the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, the first respondent herein, dated 09.12.2025, where, inter alia, he has
stated the following:-
“7. I respectfully submit that as on 08.10.2025, the representations received Zone wise in 15 Zones with respect to the issuance of identity cards and issuance of permission for running bunks/shops in accordance with the Act are as follows:-
Zone No. of
Applications Received No. of
Applications Disposed No. of
Applications Pending No. of identity cards
issued to the
hawkers till date
1 7 7 – 1467
2 1 1 – 421
3 15 15 – 495
4 21 21 – 1407
5 501 493 8 7896
6 62 61 1 1772
7 212 212 – 2813
8 220 214 6 2092
9 674 663 11 4309
10 253 240 13 5704
11 27 26 1 970
12 22 22 – 633
13 227 219 8 2835
14 18 18 – 1071
15 33 33 – 1703
Total 2293 2245 48 35588
8. I respectfully submit that further, the remaining applications are under process and after scrutinizing and after taking bio-metric of the identified hawkers new identity cards with chip will be issued to the remaining hawkers.”
2. Relying upon this report, Mr.J.Ravindran, learned Additional Advocate General appearing for the Corporation would submit that, as on 08.10.2025, to the date on which the earlier orders were passed, how many applications were received, how many of them were disposed, how many of them are pending and how many Identity Cards were issued to the hawkers have been provided at paragraph 7 of the status report, he submitted. As per the said statement, as on 08.10.2025, only 48 applications are pending out of the total 15 Zones, where, in Zones 1 to 4, 7, 12, 14 and 15, no
applications are pending, that is nil pendency.
3. If this is the factual statistics provided by the Commissioner
of Greater Chennai Corporation, a number of applications have already been disposed of and only very handful or few applications alone are pending and that could also be disposed of on merits in
due course.
4. We have recorded the said statement given by the Chennai
Corporation.
5. It is also brought to our notice that, around the High Court, that is the four circuit roads adjacent to the High Court campus, especially in the northern side road, namely the N.S.C.Bose Road, being a busy commercial road, many advocates’ cars as well as the litigants’ cars or two-wheelers, who are coming to the High Court to have regular business, are parked on the side parking area allotted by the Chennai Corporation along the side of these four roads,
especially the N.S.C.Bose Road.
6. While that being so, it is an agonizing fact that, despite the
earlier orders and warnings having been given that the entire stretch of the N.S.C.Bose Road shall be hawkers’ free, the menace still continues and rows of shops are permitted with the connivance of the Officials concerned of the Corporation. If these hawkers are occupying a major portion of the road or road margin, that will hinder the entire flow of traffic as well as the reserved car parking for advocates, litigants as well as the public who come for the business only in the commercial establishments, which are
established in the permanent buildings at the N.S.C.Bose Road.
7. Since this menace is not able to be controlled by the Greater Chennai Corporation with regular monitoring with the
officials/supervisors, we deem it appropriate to give a direction to the Greater Chennai Corporation, especially the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, to form a Special Team of Officers to monitor these four roads and to ensure that no hawkers are permitted in these roads and also the parking area should be strictly regulated and beyond the allotted parking area, no parking shall be
permitted, enabling the free flow of traffic.
8. The Greater Chennai Corporation or its Town Vending Committee, if not already declared these roads as non-vending zones, steps shall immediately be taken so, as these roads, in our considered view, could not be considered to be a vending zone
because of the heavy movement of traffic.
9. These compliances shall be made and a compliance report be filed by the Greater Chennai Corporation, that is the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation during the next
date of hearing.
10. Post these matters on 07.01.2026.
(R.S.K., J.) (A.D.J.C., J.)
19.12.2025
drm
To
1.The Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, Chennai – 600 003.
2. The Zonal Officer,
Zone – 10, Greater Chennai Corporation, No.117, N.S.K.Salai,
Kodambakkam, Chennai – 600 024.
3. The Assistant Engineer,
Zone – 10, Greater Chennai Corporation, No.117, N.S.K.Salai,
Kodambakkam, Chennai – 600 024.
4. The Town Vending Committee,
Zone – 10, Greater Chennai Corporation, No.117, N.S.K.Salai,
Kodambakkam, Chennai – 600 024.
5. The Assistant Executive Engineer,
Part-30, Zone – 10, Greater Chennai Corporation, No.117, T.Nagar, Chennai – 600 017.
6. The Inspector of Police,
R-4 Police Station,
T.Nagar, Chennai – 600 017.
7. The Principal Secretary to Government,
State of Tamil Nadu,
Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Fort St. George, Chennai – 600 009.
8. The Additional Chief Secretary/The Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, Chennai – 600 003.
R. SURESH KUMAR, J.
AND A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.
drm
W.P.Nos.14977, 16488, 16491, 15959,
16061, 14980, 16485 & 16489 of 2024
19.12.2025