Shanmugaraj Vs The Block Development officer — Madras HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Shanmugaraj Vs The Block Development officer — Madras HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ petition disposed of with directions that the electricity connection shall not be disconnected and that the respondents process any necessary permissions without disturbing the petitioner's possession within two weeks, failing which the permission shall be deemed automatic; no costs.

Issue for consideration

Whether the impugned notice dated 12.09.2022 requiring the petitioner to obtain a No Objection Certificate from Thippampatti Panchayat to sustain his electricity service connection, without specifying any provision of law mandating such permission, is sustainable. +1 more

Court's answer

There is no dispute that the petitioner uses the wells solely for agricultural purposes, and the electricity connection is also used only for agricultural operations.

Ratio / Principle

The requirement of permission is primarily to ensure that the land is not used for commercial exploitation.

Key takeaways

Even assuming that permission is required, the authorities must verify whether the usage is for agricultural purposes.ratio¶¶40
If the well is used for agriculture, permission can be deemed to be granted; only in cases of misuse does the question of non-compliance arise.ratio¶¶40
There was no necessity for the 5th respondent to act upon the recommendation of respondents 1 and 2 and disconnect the electricity supply.ratio

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ Petition (Madras High Court, Krishnan Ramasamy J.) challenging a notice dated 12.09.2022 issued by the Assistant Engineer, TNEB (5th respondent), calling upon an agriculturist to obtain a No Objection Certificate from Thippampatti Panchayat to sustain his electricity service connection, following a neighbour's complaint that he had dug wells without permission on his 77-cent patta land (wells within 85 meters of a water body, per the Revenue Inspector's report of 03.09.2021). Held: there is no dispute that the wells and the service connection are used solely for agricultural operations; the permission requirement is primarily to prevent commercial exploitation of land; even assuming permission is required, the authorities must verify whether the usage is agricultural, and if the well is used for agriculture, permission can be deemed granted, non-compliance arising only in cases of misuse. There was no necessity for the 5th respondent to act on the recommendation of respondents 1 and 2 and disconnect supply. Directions: the electricity connection shall not be disconnected; respondents to process all necessary permissions, if required, without disturbing the petitioner's possession within two weeks, failing which the permission is deemed automatic. Writ petition disposed of; no costs. Counsel invoked the Panchayat Act and the Revenue Standing Orders; no provision was cited in the impugned notice; no precedent engaged with.

WP No. 26388 of 2022

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 24-04-2026

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE KRISHNAN RAMASAMY

WP No. 26388 of 2022

Shanmugaraj

s/o.Subramaniam, Door No.3-185, Nallampalli, Kolarpatti Post, Pollachi, Coimbatore District-642 107.

..Petitioner(s)

Vs

The Block Development officer Pollachi South Panchayat Union, Union Office Buildings, Coimbatore Road, Pollachi-642 001.

The Tahsildhar Pollachi Taluk, Pollachi-642 001.

The Revenue Inspector, Kolarpatti Sub Taluk, Pollachi-642 107.

The Executive Engineer Maintenance and Operations, TNEB, Angalakurichi, Pollachi-642 007.

The Assistant Engineer, TNEB, Udumalai Electricity Distribution Taluk, Kolarpatti-642 107.

..Respondent(s)

Calling for the records pertaining to the impugned notice issued by the 5th respondent herein in Ka. No.E.Min. Po/ E.Zha.Pe/ Ko.PaVa. Thu/ Ko.Thani/ A.No.109/2022 dated 12.09.2022 and quash the same

WP No. 26388 of 2022

For Petitioner(s): G.Karthikeyan A.Jagadeeswari E.Karthik Raja K.R.Vinodhinee

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C.S.Madhuben K.J.Sakthi Shanmugha Priya S.Banupriya

For Respondent(s): Agp For R1 Govt Advocate For Rr2 & 3. Mr.M.Abul Kalam Sc Takes Notice For Rr5 & 6. R-4 THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER Maintenance And Operations, TNEB, Angalakurichi, Pollachi-642 007. Private Notice Permitted Proof Filed Vide Usr.34712

Order

Challenging the impugned notice of the 5^th respondent dated 12.09.2022, wherein the petitioner was called upon to get No Objection Certificate to sustain his electricity service connection, the present writ petition is filed.

Case of the petitioner is that he purchased agricultural land measuring 77 cents in Field S.F.No.265/4 through a Sale Deed dated 17.03.1999, wherein the petitioner dug a well measuring 18 feet x 22 feet and also obtained electricity service connection and using both his wells in his agricultural lands with a single connection. While so, the adjacent land owner one Mr.Muthumani gave a complaint on 11.11.2020, stating that the petitioner has dug a Well without permission. Based on the complaint, the 5^th respondent has passed the impugned notice dated 12.09.2022, directing the petitioner to get No objection Certificate from Thippampatti Panchayat. Against which, the petitioner has

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preferred this writ petition.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that neither the Panchayat Act nor the Revenue Standing Orders mandates to get permission from the authorities for digging a manual Well in the Patta land for agricultural purposes and the impugned notice also does not specify any provision of law requiring such permission and hence prays for quashment of the impugned order.

Learned standing counsel appearing for the respondent Electricity Board would submit that based on the report of the 3^rd respondent dated 03.09.2021, the respondents 1 and 2 recommended that since the Wells are situated within the limit of 85 meters from a water body, the 5^th respondent temporarily disconnected the electricity connection, until the petitioner obtains a no objection certificate from the Thippampatti Panchayat. Accordingly the 5^th respondent passed the impugned notice.

Heard both sides and also perused the materials available on record.

This Court finds that there is no dispute that the petitioner is using the

Wells solely for agricultural purposes. The electricity connection is also used only for agricultural operations. The requirement of permission is primarily to ensure that the land is not used for commercial exploitation. Even assuming that

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WP No. 26388 of 2022

permission is required, the authorities must verify whether the usage is for agricultural purposes. If the Well is used for agriculture, permission can be deemed to be granted. Only in cases of misuse, the question of non-compliance arise.

In such circumstances, this Court is of the view that there was no necessity for the 5^th respondent to act upon the recommendation of respondents 1 and 2 and disconnect the electricity supply. It is made clear that the electricity connection shall not be disconnected. The respondents are directed to ensure that all necessary permissions, if required, are processed without disturbing the petitioner’s possession within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order In the event that permission is not granted, within two weeks as stated above, it shall deemed to be automatic.

This writ petition is disposed of with the above directions. No costs.

24-04-2026

Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No

SK

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WP No. 26388 of 2022

KRISHNAN RAMASAMY J.

SK

WP No. 26388 of 2022

24-04-2026

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WP No. 26388 of 2022

To

The Block Development officer Pollachi South Panchayat Union, Union Office Buildings, Coimbatore Road, Pollachi-642 001.

The Tahsildhar Pollachi Taluk, Pollachi-642 001.

The Revenue Inspector, Kolarpatti Sub Taluk, Pollachi-642 107.

The Executive Engineer Maintenance and Operations, TNEB, Angalakurichi, Pollachi-642 007.

The Assistant Engineer, TNEB, Udumalai Electricity Distribution Taluk, Kolarpatti-642 107.

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