Chennai: The Madras high court dismissed a public interest litigation which sought a direction to name residential quarters for judicial officers at the Saidapet and Egmore complexes as Bharat Ratna Dr M.G.Ramachandran Residential Complex for Judicial Officers.
“The naming or re-naming of a public building is within the domain of government and such a task cannot be undertaken by this court. Further, it is not in the annals of the judiciary to name any building meant for their use, after the name of any prominent or political leaders,” said a division bench comprising Justices R.Subbiah and A.D.Jagadish Chandira while dismissing a PIL from senior advocate A.E.Chelliah.
The bench said that for maintaining a PIL, it must be shown that government or instrumentalities of the government have failed to discharge their public duties or have breached well established procedures while doing so, or there was any violation of any provisions of law or constitutional mandate in discharge of such duty.
The petitioner must also show that there was a violation or transgression of any law by the authorities and such violation warrants judicial interference.
“In this case, we are of the firm opinion that the petitioner has not demonstrated that there is any infringement of any of the fundamental or legal rights warranting our interference. In fact, such a plea made by the petitioner was also rejected by government, which remains unchallenged by the petitioner till date,” the bench added.
The bench pointed out that an earlier request made by the petitioner for renaming the Judicial Officers Residential Quarters after the name of the former chief minister was placed before the portfolio judge and rejected on February 14, 2017.
