HC raps TN govt

Rapping Tamil Nadu government for failure to provide infrastructural facilities to a monitoring committee appointed by it in December last in the illegal hoardings case, the Madras High Court today gave two weeks time for making them available.
When the matter came up for hearing, a bench, comprising Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, took note of a letter dated February 25 (yesterday) by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), one of the respondents, stating that government, in consultation with the advisory department, is attending to the proposal which is under active consideration.
Taking strong objection, the bench criticized the government for not even commencing the work with regard to providing infrastructural facilities to the monitoring committee headed by retired judge Justice S Rajeswaran when the court was expecting the benefit of its report by this time.

It observed that the government was making a mockery of the process of setting up of the commmittee and still looking into the aspects of tables and chairs to be provided to the panel.
The bench granted two weeks time to the CMDA and city Corporation for providing the infrastructure, failing which the concerned officials shall remain personally present in the court.
It then adjourned the matter to March 30.
During the hearing of a contempt petition by PIL activist Traffic Ramaswamy on the matter, the court had in the previous hearing on December 3 last appointed the committee to go into the complaints of erection of illegal hoardings and flex boards.

The petitioner has sought a direction to punish authorities concerned, including the Chennai District Collector, for not obeying the court's January 9, 2014 order on removal of illegal digital banners.