MADURAI: Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu has informed the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court that the state government is in the process of chalking out a manual comprising guidelines to follow when processing applications seeking community certificates as directed by the Supreme Court in the Madhurai Patil case of 1994.
A Bench of justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri had earlier expressed shock over the inaction of the state government since 1994 over compliance with the Supreme Court order. The court during the previous hearing had impleaded the chief secretary to file an affidavit explaining the action taken by the government for framing law or rules as directed by the SC. The chief secretary recently filed an affidavit stating that the government is in the process of putting together the manual. The court accepted the affidavit and expressed hope that the manual will be ready by next month.
In the petition filed by one Veyil Selvi, the court said the petitioner’s daughter’s application for a community certificate was rejected as she could not produce her parents’ certificates. However, the petitioner had produced a document issued by a competent authority, certifying that her brother Kalimuthu belonged to the community. No doubt, the certificate of the petitioner’s husband cannot be the basis for issuance of a community certificate, but, the certificate of her own brother would definitely indicate that she belonged to the community, the court had said.
The Bench added that it is rather strange to know that the revenue officials rejected the application on the ground that she had not produced her parents’ certificate. Though the affidavit of the chief secretary states that regular sensitisation programmes are being conducted for the officials, the court does not believe that those programmes had any effect on the officers at the grassroots, they added.
Observing that authorities should have decided on the application only after conducting an inquiry based on the documents that were produced before them, the court said the authorities, despite drawing salary out of the taxpayers’ money, are quite insensitive to the needs of the public. The court also imposed costs of Rs 10,000 on Tenkasi RDO, and directed him to pay the amount from his own pocket.
‘Only probed into Murasoli land case’
Chennai: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) told the Madras HC that it did not pass any orders but only held inquiries on a complaint stating Murasoli office is located on panchami land. In a counter-affidavit, the commission said since the panchami land is connected to the interests of the SC people, the commission, which is vested with magisterial powers, initiated inquiries. But no order was passed. It further said the court can pass its own orders on the matter. The case was adjourned to July 7 for final arguments. The case was filed by Murasoli Trust against a notice issued by the commission.
Status quo on bar association affairs
Chennai: A division bench of the Madras High Court comprising justices S Vaidyanathan and K Rajasekar on Tuesday ordered status quo on the affairs of the Madras Bar Association (MBA). The status quo was ordered till July 3 when the appeal filed by MBA against a single judge’s order on a slew of directives to streamline the management of the association came up for hearing.The single judge had directed the MBA to pay `5 lakh compensation to a junior lawyer who was prevented from drinking water from association premises. The judge also ordered admission of every lawyer who applies for membership subject to fulfilment of requirements.