Lack of amenities at Vellore court irk advocates and litigators
VELLORE: The Vellore District Court, which is a combined court for handling cases from Vellore, Ranipet, and Tirupattur, lacks basic amenities including lack of drinking water, toilet, and parking facilities.
Even though there is a daily footfall of around 2,000 people which includes litigants, advocates, police personnel and others, there are no proper drinking water facilities inside the campus. A litigant, Padma told TNIE, “I travelled all the way from Pallikondan, 30 km away from the court, for the hearing of my case along with my elderly mother. It is hard to find drinking water inside the campus.” Not everyone, especially those from poor financial backgrounds can afford buying bottled water which costs `20 in the shops outside the campus.
Another litigant, Meenakshi, said, “I have been coming to the court campus from Tirupattur for the hearing of my case for the past two years. It would have been much more convenient if there were drinking water facilities within the campus because most of the days, I spent hours here and buying bottled water is not feasible all the time.”
In addition to this, there are no proper parking facilities, even for the advocates, on the campus. This has led to frequent incidents of bike thefts too. An advocate told TNIE, “A few months ago, my scooter was stolen from the spot where I parked. This is a recurring problem. Separate parking facilities for advocates could help alleviate such issues.”
Adding to the woes, there are no separate toilets for women advocates who visit the campus daily. Female advocates currently have to use the staff toilet, which is inadequate and not maintained well. “More than 70 women advocates visit the campus on a daily basis. While men have their own toilets in the bar association room, the facilities for us are insufficient,” said a woman advocate upon anonymity.
Ever since Covid-19 broke out, there has been no canteen inside the campus. Another advocate said, “A canteen is one of the basic necessities in a workspace. Currently, we have to go outside for food. Even then, options are limited.”
Additionally, the court campus used to have an ATM which was majorly used by people to withdraw money for fine payments. However, the machine is no longer functional, creating difficulties for litigants who have to travel 1 km away to the nearest ATM. “Having a functioning ATM on-site would be more convenient, especially for those who have been asked to pay fines,” suggested the advocate.