Cases related to the proposed GMC Karur to be clubbed : HC

Madurai: The Madras High Court Bench, has given a directive to its Registry, to club all writ petitions and public interest litigation(PIL) petitions filed about the controversial location issue of the proposed Government Medical College Hospital in Karur district. The clubbed petitions are to be presented for a hearing before a Division Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and K.K. Sasidharan, on Thursday.

Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana comprising the Ist division bench issued the order after a PIL petition filed by M.N. Prabhu, a former AIADMK councillor brought to the court’s notice that two other writ petitions related to the proposed medical college location were already pending before the court.

Senior Counsel Vijay Narayan presenting the PIL petitioner’s case before the First Bench, stated that it was a State Government endeavour to establish a government medical college hospital in every district.

He said in accordance with this effort, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, had on August 12, 2014, announced the government’s decision to establish a college in Karur.

Following the announcement, K.G. Prem and G. Pradeep Kumar, two residents of Karur, who owned large tracts of land at Kuppichipalayam and other neighbouring villages, offered to donate a portion of their land for the college. However, the government authorities finding the locations far away from the district headquarter hospital, had declined the offer.

Finally, the state government took a decision to support the establishment of the college in the heart of Karur town, on municipality land. This decision was taken keeping in view that it was situated very close to the district headquarters hospital.

The government also sanctioned financial assistance worth Rs 229.46 crore. However, parties who had earlier offered their land for the college created hurdles, preventing the project from taking off, the counsel indicated.

Additional Advocate General, B. Pugalendhi told the court that the construction of the proposed government college could not commence due to interim orders passed in two other cases, pending before single judges of the High Court, reports The Hindu.