CHENNAI: Expressing concern over the colonial practice of employing orderlies for household chores, the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu home secretary to hold an inquiry into the employment of orderlies in the residences of higher officials of the prisons department and free them.
“In view of the above situation, we direct the home secretary to conduct an elaborate inquiry either with the assistance of CBCID police or by getting necessary inputs from the intelligence wing and initiate all appropriate actions against the prison authorities who have engaged the uniformed personnel/public servants for their residential work or personal work,” a division bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and M Jothiraman said in a recent order.
The bench also said those who employ orderlies deserved to be punished under service rules and laws.
Recalling that the orderly system in the uniformed services was abolished by the government way back in 1971, the bench noted that the home secretary had written a letter to the DGP on taking action against employing orderlies.
Similar instructions could have been issued to Director General of Prisons to ensure such a system is not followed in the prisons department, the bench said.
Many warders deployed to perform household chores
The orders were passed on a petition filed by one Sujatha alleging that unhygienic facilities are provided to the prisoners locked in Central Prison-II at Puzhal and lack of enough warders to attend to duty as per prison manual.
The bench noted that only 15 warders are attending work per shift in the Central Prison-II instead of 60 warders and stated that a large number of warders are deployed to perform household chores. The court adjourned the case to November 29, directing the respondent authorities to file a status report.