MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday issued notice to the Home (Prison) department, TANGEDCO, among others, on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a retired chief head warder seeking action over alleged 'theft' of electricity from Madurai and Coimbatore central prisons to the government residential quarters of top prison officers.
The litigant, M Sekar of Thoothukudi, submitted that the government quarters of prison officers are situated adjacent to the respective central prison premises and have separate electricity connections. While the electricity bill for the prison premises would be settled by the state exchequer, the electricity charges for the residential quarters have to be borne by the respective officers who were in occupation of the quarters, he added.
However, the electricity connection for the government quarters of the deputy inspector general of prisons, Madurai range, was disconnected in October 2009 for non-payment of charges and thereafter, the supply was resumed by routing a connection from the central prison, Sekar alleged. He made similar allegations regarding the electricity supply provided to the official quarters of Madurai and Coimbatore prison superintendents and Coimbatore range DIG.
Claiming that government funds are being misused to pay the EB bills of the prison officers, he sought action against the erring officials and also a direction to recover the past bill amounts from the officers concerned. A Bench of justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan issued notice to the prison and TANGEDCO authorities and adjourned the case for further hearing.