: The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking to include the officers of the Public Health Department in the list of persons who are permitted to use the blue beacon light with flasher in their vehicles.
The First Bench of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan, while dismissing the PIL moved by G.R. Ravindranath, General Secretary of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, said, “We are not inclined to entertain the PIL for inclusion of further categories in the Government Order dated November 15, 2014 though we make it clear that this order will not preclude the representation of the petitioner already made and being examined by the authorities.”
The petitioner had claimed that since health department officials had to reach the affected areas to prevent the outbreak of diseases due to natural calamities and disasters, their vehicles required unhindered access to roads. Hence, he requested that health department officials be allowed to use the blue beacon light.