Ration cards no basis for patta claims: HC

CHENNAI: Family ration cards, current consumption charge cards, property tax receipts and voter ID cards will not confer any right on persons claiming pattas for their houses on government poromoboke lands, the Madras High Court has ruled.In the absence of any material to show that they were residing in the area for more than 10 years, their claim for issuance of pattas could not be acceeded to, Justice D Hariparanthaman said, dismissing a batch of writ petitions challenging the notifications of the Forest department in 2007 declaring 317 hectares of swamp land in Mettukuppam in Pallikaranai as Reserve Forest and seeking to acquire them from the residents.The petitioners produced documents such as ration cards, property tax receipts and voter ID cards.