HC bench not post office for representations: HC tells TN govt

Madras High Court has chided the Tamil Nadu government for failing to respond to various representations made by the public, holding that its division bench "cannot be made into a post office" to decide on such petitions.
The court made the observation on Friday while disposing of a PIL filed by one C Arumugam, seeking a direction to the authorities concerned, including Villupuram Collector, to remove encroachments in Attur village in the district.
The court directed the Collector to take a decision on the representation of the petitioner, after issuing notice to all concerned, within a maximum period of three months.

"While dealing with such matters relating to land encroachment and unauthorised construction, we are inundated with petitions only on account of failure of the authorities concerned to respond to the representation and take a decision one way or other," the court said.
"A division bench of this court cannot be made into a post office for deciding the representations," it observed.
The court said unless the government takes appropriate measures, it would put the Government Pleader on notice that it would no option but to secretaries of different departments to attend the Court in the morning for an hour to attend to the non-dealing of representations "rather than wasting the time of the Court.

It noted that inaction on the part of the authorities was in violation of the September 21 2015 Government Order, which stipulates that grievance petitions should be acknowledged within three days of receipt and the grievance itself should be redressed within a maximum period of one month.
"It should be with a speaking order in the event of redressal or rejection, if found necessary.