Acting on a contempt petition, a single judge at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Madurai Corporation Commissioner to file a compliance report on the steps taken to improve the basic amenities in residential areas near Ulaganeri.
Originally, A. Lakshmana Perumal, a court staff, had moved the High Court Bench stating that the residents of 500 houses in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, its extension areas and Classic Park near Ulaganeri were subjected to extreme hardship because of the poor condition of a narrow stretch, the only approach road.
The road had become extremely damaged with lot of potholes after the rainy season, making commuting an ordeal, he had said. The life of the residents had become miserable during rainy season because the road was not re-laid in the past several years. The residents were also deprived of basic amenities such as streetlights, drinking water and drainage facilities, he had claimed.
Justice K. Venkataraman passed an order on July 26, 2012, with directions to the Corporation Commissioner to consider Mr. Lakshmana Perumal’s plea to provide good roads, street lights, drinking water and drainage facilities, apart from putting an end to the menace of stray dogs at the residential localities.
However, stating that no actions were initiated, Mr. Lakshmana Perumal filed a contempt petition against the Commissioner accusing him of ‘wilful disobedience’ of the court’s order. In his contempt petition, Mr. Lakshmana Perumal said that there were insufficient streetlights in the area and that water was stagnating in most parts due to lack of proper drainage. This resulted in an unhygienic condition in the locality and stray dog menace in the area was a nuisance to the residents. According to him there is no supply of corporation drinking water in the three residential areas.
Justice R. Subbiah, after hearing the case on Tuesday, directed the Commissioner to file a report within two weeks on actions taken, based on the directions of Justice Venkataraman.
