Observing that uploading land masterplans on the official website would reduce bureaucratic red tapism, the Madras high court on Monday ordered notice and sought a comprehensive report from the state government.

Madurai: Observing that uploading land masterplans on the official website would reduce bureaucratic red tapism, the Madras high court on Monday ordered notice and sought a comprehensive report from the state government.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by M Maruthupandian, an advocate and a resident of Ramanathapuram district, who sought the town planning authorities to upload masterplans of all the areas across the state on the official website.
A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and justice M M Sundresh observed that the petitioner contended that once the masterplan is available in the website, any intending purchaser will be able able to satisfy himself as to the project that can be put on on the land that he proposes to buy. There may also not be any need to run to the authorities for permission to construct a commercial project on what is earmarked as residential land.
The judges observed that it prima facie appears to be an excellent idea. If masterplans are put on the website, it not only ensures that things move according to the plan, it will also entail less requests for conversion of one type of land to another. 
The petitioner stated that he came across several incidents where people who purchase land for commercial purposes come to know that the area was not classified as a commercial area when they approach the town planning authorities for building plan approval. He stated that such kinds of issues would be prevented if the masterplan along with the type of classification of the land is made available on the website.

Hence, the petitioner moved the HC Madurai bench. He also sought to make it mandatory to mention the classification of the land in the document during the time of registration.