CHENNAI: Expressing displeasure over the delay in constituting the Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission, the Madras High Court has restrained all construction activities in ancient temples across the state, pointing out that Tamil Nadu is home to numerous ancient temples and historic structures.
The bench also ordered that no construction activities should be carried out in ancient temples till the commission is formed and adjourned the hearing to March 5.
The Court had earlier directed the State to decide within a month regarding the constitution of the Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission while hearing a plea seeking a ban on the construction of a commercial complex in front of the Arunachaleswarar Temple at Tiruvannamalai.
When the matter came up for further hearing Thursday, before a Division Bench comprising Justices R Suresh Kumar and S Sounthar, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department informed that rules relating to the heritage commission had been framed, a selection committee headed by the Chief Secretary had been constituted to choose the Chairperson. Applications had been invited for the post, and a notification had been issued on the Archaeology Department's website, the department said.
The judges questioned why advertisements calling for applications for the Chairperson's post were not published in newspapers and how it could be expected that everyone would have seen the notification issued only on the website.
The Bench observed that if the government was not interested in constituting the commission, it could state so before the Court.
Denying, counsel for the HR&CE Department submitted that there was no deliberate delay in constituting the commission and five applications had been received so far.
Recording the submissions, the judges directed that advertisements inviting applications for the post of Chairperson of the commission be published within a week in four leading Tamil newspapers and two English newspapers and granted two weeks for eligible persons to apply. The bench directed that the applications be scrutinised, three names shortlisted, and a report submitted to the Court in a sealed cover.