Chennai: Irked by a report filed by a Chennai Corporation official in a PIL relating to shifting of hawkers in North Chennai, the Madras high court has warned that it will not hesitate to invoke all the provisions including contempt proceedings against officials who take the orders of the court casually.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M.Sundar also directed the Commissioner of Chennai Corporation and Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to file a detailed affidavit explaining the allotment of alternative shops for pavement vendors.
When the contempt petition filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy came up for hearing on Tuesday, counsel for the corporation, citing the report filed by the zonal officer, zone-V of Chennai corporation, submitted that the corporation has enumerated the hawkers who were violating the terms and conditions by annexing shops and putting up a canopy, which amounts to aerial encroachment.
A total of 1,252 hawkers in various locations were allotted shops by the corporation and the allotment was done as per the Justice A.Ramamurthy Committee recommendations on rehabilitation of hawkers, he added.
Finding that there was no mention about the recommendations of the Committee in the report nor was a copy of the recommendations enclosed with the report, the bench said “how the allotments were made? You say it is on the basis of Justice Ramamurthy Committee recommendations but where have you mentioned the recommendations in the report? Where are the recommendations of the Committee?” When you say something, see that it is supported by some documents. Only the additional commissioner of police (traffic) and Commissioner of Chennai corporation were given the responsibility”.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the report, the bench said, “You are facing contempt. Let your officers come. File a comprehensive affidavit in order to purge yourself from contempt”. Directing the two officers to file a detailed affidavit, the bench told the counsel for the corporation “inform your clients that this court will not hesitate to invoke all the provisions including contempt”.
