25 multi-storeyed buildings sealed in T Nagar

CHENNAI: Officials of the Chennai Corporation, along with their counterparts in Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), on Monday sealed over 25 multi-storeyed buildings in the city’s commercial hub T Nagar, for various violations. In a coordinated action that began at dawn and went on for about five hours, the authorities were able to lock and seal about 25 buildings, out of the planned 62. While the civic body sealed 19 buildings, the CMDA sealed another six buildings on Ranganathan Street and Usman Road.The establishments that were sealed on Monday include Chennai Silks, Jeyachandran Textiles, Saravana Stores, Archana Sweets, Rathna Stores, Shanmuga Stores, Harihant Saravana Sweets, N S Ramanathan Jewellery, Sree Kumaran Thangamaligai, Sreedevi Gold House and Textile India. According to official sources, all the buildings sealed on Monday were served with notices and the mandatory deadline of one month had also been given to all the owners. On Monday morning, a tense situation prevailed in the locality as some showroom owners and employees tried to break the seals but were warned by the officials to desist from doing so as it would attract criminal proceedings.In 2006, the Madras High Court appointed a committee to look into building norm violations in T Nagar after reports of infringements by influential traders. It recommended that the CMDA and Corporation take action against the violators and identified 64 multi-storeyed buildings with gross violations.