Follow circulars while giving permission for meetings: HC

The Madras High Court today said government authorities should strictly follow instructions in circulars which stated that an official concerned should insist for production of No Objection Certificate from the Electricity Board before giving permission for conducting meetings and festivals.
Disposing of a PIL filed by "Traffic" Ramaswamy, a social activist, the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M Sathyanarayanan, said "concerned authorities must ensure that such religious functions are properly organised, causing least inconvenience to residents, both in terms of decibel level of the speakers as well as any passage from one place to the other.

"Needless to say, simultaneously the law and order situation should be maintained", the bench said.
Permission from other authorities concerned should also be obtained by the applicants, the bench said.
In his PIL, Ramaswamy said the authorities permit installation of idols on the road sides which causes inconvenience to the general public and sought a direction to the authorities not to permit installation of idols on the road side.
He also sought a direction from the cout to insist on No Objection Certificate from the Electricity Board while applying permission from authorities for conducting meetings and festivals.