Chennai: The Madras high court directed the PWD and registry to form one more committee to protect and preserve the Indo-Saracenic buildings on the sprawling high court campus.
On a PIL from advocate M.T. Arunan, the first bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Satish K. Agnihotri and Justice M.M. Sundresh, formed the committee to assist the Madras High Court Heritage Committee.
The committee will include Registrar General, High Court, Additional Advocate General Mr Aravind Pandian, Secretary, PWD, N.L. Rajah, Advocate Dr. S. Vasanthi, Deputy Superintending Archeologist, State Government Egmore and a senor officer well versed in the field. In the petition, Arunan, submitted that heritage buildings, situated on the high court campus, had been neglected for several years and no remedial measures had been taken. Even though the writ petition had been filed in 2011, no concrete steps were taken to preserve and protect the structures. On the contrary, the petitioner’s name was removed from the Heritage Committee, constituted for the purpose.
In its counter, the Registry and other respondents, replied that the high court campus was facing a severe space crunch in view of expanding litigation and docket explosion, and appropriate steps had been taken to protect the prestigious building. The public works department submitted that appropriate guidance had been sought from an archaeologist from the state government. The Archaeological Survey of India said that efforts shall be made to preserve ‘Tomb of David Yale and Joseph Hymners’, on the campus and would further submit that it would extend all the expertise relating to conservation and maintenance of the buildings.
The bench observed that the buildings situated within the vast Madras high court, constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style, would be preserved for posterity. Apart from the Madras High Court Heritage Committee, the bench was inclined to constitute one more committee of experts in the field in which the petitioner would be included. The building to be protected would also include the Small Causes court buildings and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Law College. The bench was of the view that Arunan be included in the heritage committee.
