The Madras high court restrained the state government Friday from altering the assembly-secretariat complex at Omanthoorar Estate for a multi-specialty hospital-cum-medical college.
A division bench granted the interim injunction on a PIL filed by lawyer R. Veeramani.The assembly-secretariat was a pet project of DMK president M. Karunanidhi.
“This order will not stand in the way of the government, if it is advised to obtain environmental clearance and take other steps as per its policy decision dated August 19, 2011,” the bench said and directed the government to file a counter on or before February 10.
It posted the matter for hearing to February 13.
The bench said no environmental clearance had been obtained for the modification. Whether such a clearance was necessary prior for modifi-cation/alteration had to be gone into at the time of final hearing, it said.
The bench said, “We are of the opinion that the environmental clearance certificate issued for the purpose of the building in question would not include prior clearance for modification.”