‘Remove seemai karuvelam from 13 districts by January 31’

MDMK leader Vaiko, along with few others, filed a petition at the High Court seeking the removal of seemai karuvelam plants from the headquarters of all 13 districts. Based on the plea, all the 13 Collectors were included as respondents. On December 20, when the case was heard, the HC directed all the district administrations to remove the plants and submit a report by January 10. When the case was heard on Tuesday, Vaiko appeared before the court and pleaded to direct all district administrations in the state to remove the seemai karuvelam plants. 

However, the HC did not accept his plea. Assistant Advocate General, Pugalendhi, filed the report, which stated that four districts had removed the plants in Corporation and Municipal lands while plants in PWD and private lands were not removed. The report also said that works was going on in other districts and those reports would be submitted soon. On hearing the argument, Judges issued an ultimatum to all the 13 collectors to remove seemai karu velam plants in district headquarters by January 31. It also directed the Principal District Judges to carry out an independent probe and submit a report by the same date.

Even as there remains a demand to appoint a committee headed by a retired High Court Judge to remedy the poor management of the Anna Centenary Library, the Madras High Court granted more time to the government based on its demand citing Cyclone Vardah.

The First bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh on listing the case for compliance to February 21, said “Additional advocate General on instructions states that practically all aspects have been attended to, though there is some damage caused by Cyclone Vardah and to remedy all aspects, four weeks’ time may be granted.” 

The bench also directed P T Asha, who is the member of the Committee to visit the library after four weeks and verify as to whether by and large all aspects are attended to. The petitioner S T Manonmani during the previous hearing had contended that despite a series of orders from the HC, the authorities had failed to maintain the library to its potential and sought for the appointment of a judicial committee to maintain it. It may be noted that the petitioner had approached the HC over five years ago, and stalled the AIADMK government move to convert the library built by the DMK at a cost of Rs 179 crore into a hospital. When the case came up for hearing in November last year, the HC had set the deadline as December 14.