The Madras High Court bench here on Monday ordered status quo restraining the Kanyakumari district collector from taking action against the Tucker Girls’ Home at Vettoornimadam for not having obtained permanent registration.
The petitioner T. Alfred, a retired lieutenant and the secretary of the Salvation Army, which runs the Home, claimed in his petition that the application for permanent registration was pending with the department of social welfare.
The social welfare department had recommended grant of permanent registration and the home was granted temporary registration till 2012, he claimed. But there was a delay on the part of the tahsildar, Agatheeswaram taluk, in renewing the building license in 2013, which delayed the process of obtaining permanent registration, he added.
The Collector, without taking into account that the home had obtained temporary registration, announced in a press meet that 11 homes, including the Tucker Girls’ Home, would be closed for not having obtained permanent registration, claimed Mr. Alfred.
In his petition, he pleaded that the Collector should be restrained from taking action against the Home pending disposal of his request for permanent registration.
Justice T. Raja issued the order.
