M/S.RAS TURBO PVT. LTD. Vs. CHAIRMAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners are Ship repairers who were allotted various open spaces of different dimensions in the Chennai Port Trust area by the respondents for the purpose of assisting the ships for their repairing needs in the Chennai Port. All the petitioners are aggrieved by the impugned letter dated 05.08.2019 issued to each one of them by the respondents informing them that

(2.) All the petitioners have challenged the impugned letters dated 05.08.2019 by stating the following reasons:

(3.) W.P.No.27572 of 2019 has been filed by M/s.Chidambaram Shipcare Pvt. Ltd., W.P.No.27657 of 2019 has been filed by M/s.Choudary Technical Ship Services Pvt. Ltd., W.P.No.27648 of 2019 has been filed by M/s.Hexxon Maritime Services, W.P.No.27642 of 2019 has been filed by M/s.Royal Tech Marine Engineers, W.P.No.27653 of 2019 has been filed by M/s.Shri Sangeethaa Logistics, W.P.No.27656 of 2019 has been filed by M/s.Hindusthan Maritime Engineering Works and W.P.No.27566 of 2019 has been filed by M/s.Ras Turbo Pvt. Ltd, all challenging a similar communication dated 05.08.2019 received from the second respondent referred to supra. Apart from challenging the communication calling upon the petitioners to pay penalty and vacate the premises, M/s.Hindusthan Marine Engineering Works has filed W.P.No.7584 of 2020 and M/s.Ras Turbo Pvt. Ltd. has filed W.P.No.8051 of 2020 challenging a) the rejection of the respondent by its order dated 04/2020 their request for granting exemption from payment of charges due to Covid-19 lockdown and b) the order confirming the rent claim advices dated 31.03.2020 calling upon them to pay the penalty charges for the occupation of the premises in the Port Trust area. According to M/s.Hindusthan Marine Engineering Works and M/s. Ras Turbo Pvt. Ltd., the levy of penalty is against the guidelines issued by the Central Government and State Government which grants exemption for collection of any penal charges during the period of lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic.