According to a news report, the Madras high court has ordered departmental and disciplinary action against cooperative dept officers for their failure to comply with a series of court orders and their refusal to respond to letters from govt law officers. The officers in question are a deputy registrar of cooperative societies (housing) and an official liquidator stationed in Coimbatore.
Sri Venkateswara Cooperative Building Society started a housing plot scheme at Sowripalayam village near Peelamedu in Coimbatore in the eighties.
Though purchasers had paid the entire amount and sale deeds were executed for them, in favour of the petitioners in 1982, they have not been able to get possession of the housing plots nor obtain their rectified sale deeds giving exact boundaries.
Problem began after proceedings were initiated under the Urban Land Ceiling Act. It, however, ended in favour of the Society, a revised plan was submitted by the then special officer.
At the end, the layout stood revised and the number of plots increased from 44 to 45. Though new rectified sale deeds were to be given with slight alteration in boundaries, the exercise was not completed, giving rise to a writ petition.
Despite a court order and repeated instructions from government advocates, the cooperative society had not disbursed the title deeds to the buyers, the court said.
“It is a fit case where a disciplinary action has to be initiated against the cooperative department officials. Housing secretary should also take note of the fact as to why the registrar cooperative societies (housing) did not issue any direction in spite of the repeated communications sent by the learned special government pleader. Registry to forward a copy of this order to the secretary for appropriate action against the officials as directed,” the court said.