CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu government to file a comprehensive report within two weeks on the living conditions of tribal people in Kalvarayan Hills in order to improve the socio-economic conditions of the marginalised.
The direction was given by a division bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan when a suo motu revision case initiated by the court, in the wake of the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, came up for hearing.
The bench noted that it has come across multiple media reports and documentaries about the lack of basic infrastructural facilities in that region.
“The government should make it clear whether or not the welfare schemes are made available to the people of that locality. Since people of these regions are mostly from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes communities, the government has to explain what are the efforts made to improve their lives,” the court said in the order.
It said like how the Election Commission goes even to the remotest region of the country to ensure that everyone exercises their franchise, the state has to ensure that the facilities and welfare schemes have reached these people.
It also called upon media persons and interested people, well acquainted with the topography and socio-economic conditions, to submit reports or inputs to the court, enabling it to address the issues in a ‘pragmatic’ manner.