Plea in Madras High Court seeks land acquisition of Kodanad Estate road for public access

A local resident has filed a public interest litigation petition in the Madras High Court to direct the district collector to acquire land from the Kodanad Estate management. The goal of the plea is to turn a private road into a public road so that residents of two hamlets behind the estate can easily access the outside world.

Case Details

Farmer P. Ganesan, aged 61, filed the case on behalf of people living in Anna Nagar and Kamaraj Nagar hamlets in the Nilgiris district. The first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan listed the petition for hearing on Monday, November 16, 2026. The estate itself was owned by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa during her lifetime.

Past Dispute

For many years, the estate management allowed villagers to use the 2.5-kilometre private road only after they paid a toll fee, got a gate pass from the manager, and sought permission during daytime hours only. Gates on both ends closed after 6 p.m., causing daily hardship for the commuters. In 2007, an Assistant Collector passed an order stating the road was a detailed road and the estate could not block night use or charge tolls. However, the High Court quashed that order in April 2008 because authorities used criminal law for a private property dispute, though the court advised the estate not to cut off access entirely. Later, in 2011, the Supreme Court directed the management to allow access at night and stopped them from locking the gates.

Context

Public interest litigation petitions allow citizens to approach courts for matters affecting public welfare when communities face hardship. Land acquisition by the state government is a formal legal process used to obtain private land for public infrastructure projects like roads. Legal disputes over private pathways often balance property rights against the daily livelihood needs of local populations.