Govt retrieves 25 acres of land from private school in Poonamallee

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu govt on Monday retrieved 25 acres of govt land in Poonamallee, estimated to be worth 500 crore, which had been encroached upon by St John's Educational Trust.
The trust, which operates St John's International School, had originally leased five acres of land in 1993 for a period of 20 years. The school, affiliated with CBSE, had 630 students and over 60 teaching staff on its roll.Despite the lease expiring in 2013, the trust refused to vacate the premises, continuing its operations without authorisation.
Following the lease's expiration, the district collector issued a lease cancellation order. In response, the trust filed a case against the order with the Madras High Court. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the school ceased its activities at the Poonamallee site, and students were transferred to another school in the same Thiruvallur district.
Subsequent inspections by the Commissionerate of Land Administration (CLA) revealed that the school was not only occupying the five acres leased initially but had also extended its footprint onto an additional 20 acres of govt land. This land, according to govt revenue records, was classified as Anadheenam (not occupied) — a type of govt poramboke land.
The CLA's inspection found out that the trust had constructed buildings on the entire 25-acre stretch, far beyond the originally leased area. The trust also had a pending lease amount of approximately 22 crore. In June, the CLA issued an eviction notice to the trust. Acting on the orders, revenue authorities sealed the property on Monday and took possession of the land.
Given the high costs of demolition, estimated at 70 lakh, the govt is considering refurbishing the existing buildings, particularly the classrooms, which have been unused since 2021, said Govindaraj, Poonamallee tahsildar. The refurbished structures are expected to be used as a govt school, he said.