Title - HC notice to CMDA, Southern Railway after plea against tearing down Royapuram station

CHENNAI: After media outcry and public resentment over Southern Railway's proposed move to raze the Royapuram railway station, a public interest petition against the move has been filed in the Madras high court. A division bench before which the PIL filed by advocate S Sathya Chandran came up for admission issued notices to the CMDA and Southern Railway. It adjourned the matter to two weeks for further hearing.

In his petition, Sathya Chandran relied on media reports dated June 22, claiming that Southern Railway had approached the state Heritage Conservation Committee, requesting the latter's permission for removal of the Royapuram railway state from the list of heritage buildings so as to enable them to undertake 'development projects' at the site.

The advocate said that though small, the Royapuram station building was of historic importance as it was the oldest in the entire Indian sub-continent. The petitioner added that in a list prepared by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority the Royapuram station has been described as grade-1 heritage structure.

He wanted the court to restrain the railway and CMDA from demolishing the structure.