MADURAI: Coming down heavily on the chief secretary and health secretary of Tamil Nadu for not filing a status report on steps taken to control breeding of mosquitoes in the state, Justice A. Selvam observed, “When we are suffering from mosquito menace inside this court room, what would be the condition of the public? ”
Warning contempt proceeding against the secretaries for not complying with this earlier court order, a division bench comprising Justice A. Selvam and P. Kalaiyarasan said that the issue was concerning public health. People suffered severely due to mosquito menace, justice Selvam said.
Advocate K.K. Ramesh from Centre for Public Interest Litigation, Madurai filed a petition seeking the court to direct the two officials to take immediate steps to prevent the vector-borne diseases in the state. In the last hearing, the bench directed the authorities to file a status report.
When the case came up for hearing on Monday, the additional advocate general Pugalenthi submitted the affidavit in the court. When Judge Slevam asked for the status report, he responded stating it was included in the affidavit. Condemning the health secretary for failing to comply with the court order, the judge said that even the fogging done inside the court premises to eradicate mosquito was not effective.
If the authorities failed file the status report, the court would issue contempt notice against the two officials, said the judges. The next hearing of the case was posted to Jan 17.
