HC sets up 3-member Advocates Commission

Madras High Court today appointed a three-member Advocates Commission to visit the Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram and find out if the facilities in the town and the shrine had been improved on par with Tirupati and Madurai.
Madurai Bench of Justice R Sudhakar and Justice S Vaidhyanathan said already an "Action Taken Report" had been filed by the temple and local body officials.
They said going by the report, most facilities had been provided, but there was need to provide some more facilities in the 22 holy water sites in the shrine, located in Ramanathapuram district, including provision of sprinklers.

The Judges said the Superintending Engineer (SE) of the Public Works Department could study the feasibility of improving the conditions around the Holy water sites and providing more facilities.
If necessary, they said, he could take the help of experts and asked the SE to submit a report to court also.
The Judges posted the case for hearing on December 18 and said the commission could submit their report on that day.

A petition had been filed last year by some people seeking a direction to authorities to improve civic facilities in Rameswaram and also inside the temple.
Earlier the bench observed Rameswaram has been totally neglected all these years, and directed the Chief Secretary to consider the feasibility of framing a scheme for development of the pilgrim centre and the shrine there on par with Tirupati and Madurai.

The exercise should be undertaken keeping in view the needs of pilgrims, tourists and local people and in the light of a report by the court-appointed Commissioners as expeditiously as possible and implemented on a time-bound basis, it said.
The Chief Secretary should submit the Action Taken Report by December-end this year, the bench added.