CHENNAI: A division bench of the HC has directed the State Revenue secretary, Tiruvallur Collector and the Poonamallee tahsildar to appear before it at noon on Wednesday. “Though we are reluctant to direct the appearance of the officials before this court, taking note of their lethargic attitude, we direct them to appear,” the bench of Justices M Venugopal and S Vaidyanathan said on Tuesday.
The judges said they had repeatedly held that their orders had to be complied with. On March 18 last, they passed a detailed order, reiterating the orders of the First Bench (consisting of the then Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan), passed on contempt petitions, wherein it was stated that the delinquent officers should be brought to book, not by mere censure or stoppage of increment, but by more severe punishment like compulsory retirement or dismissal from service.
Despite mammoth amount of unauthorised constructions, the bench was informed that not a single person had suffered punishment of dismissal from service or even compulsory retirement at least for the last five years. “It is unfortunate that no steps have been taken. Hence, there is no other option except to direct the officials to appear before it,” the bench said.