MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday sought a status report from the state authorities on the condition of social justice hostels in 10 districts in Tamil Nadu. A bench of justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel gave the direction while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by K Muruganandam, district coordinator of Neelam Panpattu Maiyam in Pudukkottai.
The petitioner stated that he obtained RTI information about various Social Justice Hostels operating in the 10 districts- namely Madurai, Tiruchy, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Thanjavur and Pudukkottai. The reply revealed that many of the hostels are in a dilapidated condition, some requiring demolition. Several hostels in Dindigul, Ramanathapuramm, Tenkasi and Virudhunagar districts function in rented buildings from 2020. Likewise, many hostels lack wardens and some of them hold additional charge of other hostels.
Besides the post of warden, the posts of cook and watchmen are also vacant in some of the hostels, he added.
He requested the court to direct the government to fill vacancies, repair or demolish dilapidated ones, and provide permanent buildings where necessary. The bench directed the district adi dravidar welfare officers of the districts concerned to inspect the hostels and file a report to their respective district collectors within a month. The collectors were directed to compile and file a report to the court within two weeks thereafter.