CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday impleaded the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) and Gen Green Logistics Private Limited in the PIL petition filed by YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar seeking a CBI probe into the implementation of the Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme of the state aimed at empowering the Dalit conservancy workers.
The order to implead them was passed by a vacation bench of justices G R Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan when the PIL came up for hearing.
The two entities were impleaded after the Supreme Court recently issued a direction to the high court on the petitions filed by them. The apex court had also questioned the urgency with which the matter was taken up by the vacation bench.
The Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) submitted the records related to the implementation of the scheme before the court as directed.
The bench, adjourning the hearing to Friday, directed the CMWSSB to make an officer put in an appearance before the court during the hearing.
Shankar had filed the PIL alleging certain irregularities — including handing over the implementation to the private entity (DICCI), instead of the MSME department — regarding the scheme.