Disposed¶34

P.Anitha Raja Bai v. The District Collector

Madras HC6 Jan 2026WP(MD)/101/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Quarrying lease - rough stone - balance quantity 99,229 Cu.m - environmental clearance dated 05.01.2016 (approved quantity 1,41,950 Cu.m for five years) - suspension notice and revocation - permission for 42,721 Cu.m for 18 months and 19 days held to be compensation for stoppage at respondents' instance, not extension after expiry of five-year lease - mandamus to consider representation dated 14.11.2025 and pass orders on merits within eight weeks - Article 226 Constitution of India - Kanyakumari District - transport permit - writ petition disposed, no costs.

What did the court decide?

Direction to the respondents to consider the petitioner's representation dated 14.11.2025 and pass appropriate orders on merits and in accordance with law within a period of eight weeks, if otherwise in order; writ petition disposed of with no costs.

P.Anitha Raja Bai Vs The District Collector — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶34

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents should be directed to consider the petitioner's representation dated 14.11.2025, grant the quarrying lease for the balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m of rough stone, and issue the transport permit. +1 more

¶19

Court's answer

Based on the Environmental Clearance Certificate, a balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m of rough stone remains available for quarrying.

¶30

Ratio / Principle

The extension already granted for a period of 18 months was only to compensate for the losses incurred due to the stoppage of quarry operations at the instance of the respondent.

¶30

Key takeaways

Therefore, the said period cannot be considered as an extension granted to the petitioner after expiry of the lease period of five years.ratio¶30
The respondents are directed to consider the petitioner's representation dated 14.11.2025 and pass appropriate orders on merits and in accordance with law within a period of eight weeks from receipt of a copy of the order, if it is otherwise in order.ratio¶30

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Madras High Court, Madurai Bench (Krishnan Ramasamy, J.), order dated 06.01.2026 in WP(MD). No.101 of 2026 (P.Anitha Raja Bai vs The District Collector, Kanyakumari District and another), filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking a Writ of Mandamus to consider the petitioner's representation dated 14.11.2025 for grant of quarrying lease in Sy.No.483/2, Mecode Village, Thiruvattar (Kalkulam), Kanyakumari District, for the balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m of rough stone as permitted by the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority, and for issue of transport permit. The lease was originally for five years; environmental clearance dated 05.01.2016 fixed the approved quantity at 1,41,950 Cu.m; a suspension notice by the first respondent halted operations; on revocation, 42,721 Cu.m was permitted for 18 months and 19 days, which period expired. Held: the 18-month period was granted only to compensate for losses caused by stoppage of quarry operations at the instance of the respondent and cannot be treated as an extension after expiry of the five-year lease; the balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m remains available; respondents directed to consider the representation dated 14.11.2025 and pass appropriate orders on merits and in accordance with law within eight weeks from receipt of a copy of the order, if otherwise in order. Writ petition disposed of; no costs.

¶1

WP(MD). No.101 of 2026

¶2

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

¶3

Dated : 06/01/2026

¶4

CORAM

¶5

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE KRISHNAN RAMASAMY

¶6

W.P(MD)No.101 of 2026

¶7

P.Anitha Raja Bai ... Petitioner

¶8

¶9

1.The District Collector, Kanyakumari District, Kanyakumari.

¶10

2.The Assistant Director, Department of Geology and Mining, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District. ... Respondents

¶11

PRAYER :- Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus to direct the Respondents to consider petitioners representation dated 14.11.2025 and direct the first respondent to grant quarrying lease for petitioner property

¶12

in Sy.No.483/2 in Mecode Village, Thiruvattar (Kalkulam) for the balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m rough stone quarry as permitted by the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and to direct 1/6

¶13

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶14

WP(MD). No.101 of 2026

¶15

the second respondent to issue transport permit to the petitioner.

¶16

For Petitioner : Mr.R.Arun Raja Seelan, Advocate

¶17

For Respondents : Mrs.K.Malathi, Additional Government Pleader

¶18

ORDER

¶19

This writ petition has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents to consider the petitioner's representation dated 14.11.2025 and to direct the first respondent to grant a quarrying lease in respect of the petitioner's property in Survey No.483/2, Mecode Village, Thiruvattar (Kalkulam) for the balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m of rough stone quarrying as permitted by the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and to direct the second respondent to issue the necessary transport permit to the petitioner.

¶20

2.The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that intially the lease was granted to the petitioner for a period of five years to carry out rough stone and jelly quarry operations in Survey No.483/2 in Mecode Village, Kalkulam Taluk (Now Thiruvattar Taluk). The State Level

¶21

2/6

¶22

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶23

WP(MD). No.101 of 2026

¶24

Environmental Impact Assessment Authority, by order dated 05.01.2016, issued an environmental clearance certificate permitting the petitioner to carryout rough stone quarry operations in the property. As per the certificate, the approved quantity for quarrying rough stone is 1,41,950 Cu.m for the period of five years. In the meantime, the first respondent had issued a susspension notice, due to which there was a temporary ban on quarry operations. Thereafter, the first respondent revoked the suspension notice and permitted the petitioner to quarry 42,721 Cu.m of rough stone for a period of 18 month and 19 days. The said period has now expired. Based on the environmental clearance certificate, a balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m of rough stone remains available for quarrying for the period of 38 months. Therefore, the petitioner submitted representation to the respondents on 14.11.2025 seeking permission to utilize the remaining non-operative period and to conduct quarry operations for the permitted balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m of rough stone quarry for a period of 38 months. However, the said representation has not been considered till date. Hence, the petitioner has approached this Court.

¶25

3/6

¶26

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶27

WP(MD). No.101 of 2026

¶28

3.The learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the

¶29

respondents submitted that the respondents had already granted an extention for a period of 18 months and therefore, there is no question of granting any further extension.

¶30

4.Considering the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the respondents, it is evident that the extention already granted for a period of 18 months was only to compensate for the losses incurred due to the stopage of quarry operations at the instance of the respondent. Therefore, the said period cannot be considered as an extention granted to the petitioner after expiry of the lease period of five years. Since based on the Environmental Clearance Certificate, a balance quantity of 99,229 Cu.m of rough stone reamins available for quarrying, the respondents are directed to consider the representation of the petitioner dated 14.11.2025 and pass appropriate orders on merits and in accordance with law within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, if it is otherwise in order.

¶31

4/6

¶32

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶33

WP(MD). No.101 of 2026

¶34

5.With the above direction, this Writ Petition is disposed of.

¶35

No costs.

¶36

06.01.2026