V SUNDARAVELU Vs. STATE OF TAMIL NADU

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By consent of both parties, the main writ petitions themselves are taken up for final disposal.

(2.) Since the points raised in all these writ petitions are one and the same, they are being disposed of by the following common order.

(3.) It is seen that the request of the Church Authorities of Shrine Basilica Velanganni and the long felt need of the tourist coming from all over India as well as from abroad is that the pilgrim center Velanganni should have railway connection. The foundation stone was laid in June, 1999 for formation of a new broad gauge railway line. To save time and litigation, the District Collector, conducted a meeting on 06.03.2000, to hear public views for the formation of new railway line. Public representatives from all walks of life and the Railway Authorities attended the meeting. The Deputy Chief Engineer, Gauge Conversion, Trichy has sent a land plan and schedule for acquisition of land for the proposed broad-gauge line between Nagapattinam and Velanganni. On the basis of the land plan and schedule received, details of lands involved in the land acquisition were obtained from the Revenue Divisional Officer, Nagapattinam on 07.02.2001 and the District Collector conducted a meeting with Southern Railway Executive Engineer, Tiruvarur, Revenue Divisional Officer, Nagapattinam and the Rev. Father. Church of Velanganni, Basilica. The Railway authorities worked out the tentative land cost at Rs.37.62 crores. The land of the petitioners were sought to be acquired for the above railway line, they filed these writ petitions before this Court.