Madurai collector summons Alagiri

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With the Madras high court granting liberty to Madurai collector U. Sagayam to issue fresh summons to Union minister M.K. Alagiri and his family members, the former has issued a show cause notice against them with regard to the complaint over the alleged destruction of irrigation channels for the construction of Dhaya engineering college at Sivarakottai near Madurai.

The collector has summoned them to appear before him along with relevant records on January 4 at 11 am either in person or through a representative in his office to explain as to why further action should not be pursued in the matter as per the law of the land.

Mr Sagayam has sent the notice based on a complaint by M. Ramalingam, president of Madurai district farmers’ welfare association alleging that M.K. Alagiri Educational Trust has constructed buildings for running the engineering college in wet lands irrigated by Karisalkulam kanmoi (tank) in Sivarakottai by destroying cultivable lands and damaging water courses.

It is alleged by the complainant that the college management has damaged and destroyed the field bothies running through the fields.

The notice dated December 23 said the district revenue officer has visited the place of occurrence to verify the veracity of the complaint and observed that there is a prima facie case.

“It has come to light that the field bothies leading to the lands fed through sluice 3 intended for the purpose of cultivation were found destroyed and flow of water to the wet lands obstructed on account of construction of building for the college,” the notice said.

Initially, the collector had on September 6 issued summons to the minister, who is the founder-president of the trust, his wife Kanthi and son Dhayanithi, the trustees, asking them to appear before him to explain the alleged violations.

Alagiri moved the Madurai bench of Madras high court raising objections over the contents in the notice following which the court directed the collector to expunge the remarks in the notice but gave him the liberty to issue fresh summons in the manner known to law. Hence, the present notice.