CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tiruvallur District Collector to place the Block Development Officer, Poondi, under suspension for dereliction of duty.
Justice S M Subramaniam gave the directive when a petition from G Jayaprakash of Nambakkam in Tiruvallur district came up for further hearing on Friday. Jayaprakash, who was working as secretary of Poondi panchayat, had been placed under suspension for the past eight years. Without taking any step to conclude the disciplinary proceedings against him for the past eight years, he was kept under suspension which was challenged by him through the present writ petition.
The petition sought to quash an order dated February 24, 2011 of the Collector and direct the authorities to confer all consequential benefits on him.When the matter came up on July 25, the judge directed the BDO, Poondi, to be present before him along with files in relation to the plea at 10.30 am on Friday.
When the petition was taken up on Friday, the advocate informed the judge that the BDO attended the court only at 11.15 am that too without any files. When the judge asked for the files, BDO S G Krishnan was unable to provide any answer.
“Such a conduct of the public servant has to be viewed seriously. The BDO has not understood the seriousness of the judicial proceedings and he has committed dereliction of duty and negligence in not bringing the files and also not instructed the government advocate for defending the writ petition on behalf of the State,” the judge said.