Tenants Granted Four Months to Vacate Before Municipal Authorities May Enforce the Government Order.

The petitioners challenged the Government’s letter dated 6 May 2026, issued under Section 80-A of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act.

During the hearing, they stated that they were tenants and would vacate the premises, and filed undertakings proposing to do so within six months.

The Additional Government Pleader objected that six months was excessive, referring to an earlier contrary statement by the building owners.

The petitioners’ Senior Counsel asked the Court to fix a reasonable period for vacating.

1. Whether the petitioners should be granted time to vacate the premises, and, if so, what period would be reasonable.

2. Whether the Corporation could proceed with eviction and implement the Government’s order if the petitioners failed to vacate within the time granted.

The Court referred to Section 80-A of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act as the basis for the Government’s enforcement action.

It did not cite any precedent or set out a broader legal test for determining the time to vacate; it fixed the period having regard to the facts and circumstances, while preserving the authorities’ ability to enforce the Government’s order in accordance with law.

The petitioners’ undertakings established their willingness to vacate, but the Government’s objection to the requested six-month period arose from the building owners’ earlier contrary statement.

In view of that objection and the petitioners’ request that the Court determine a reasonable period, the Court granted four months from receipt of its order, rather than the six months proposed in the undertakings.

It did not determine the substantive merits of the challenge to the Government’s letter in the order.

If they failed to do so, the Chennai Corporation authorities were directed to evict them, take possession, and implement the Government’s order in the manner known to law.

There was no order as to costs; WMP No. 44192 of 2026 was ordered on payment of separate court fee, and WMP No. 44193 of 2026 was closed.