The Madras High Court Bench in Madurai on Wednesday ordered Madurai Municipal Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal to be present in the court on Thursday morning in connection with a case relating to poor upkeep of Mattuthavani integrated bus stand here.
Justice R. Sudhakar summoned the official to seek his explanation with regard to a report submitted by two advocate commissioners M. Thirunavukarasu and J. Nisha Banu that the bus stand was in a bad condition despite the corporation paying Rs. 3 lakh a month to a private organisation for maintenance.
The judge had asked the presidents of two different Bar Associations last month to visit the bus stand and ascertain the facilities available there while passing interim orders in a batch of writ petitions filed by shopkeepers in the bus stand against the corporation’s move to close one of the two doors available in each shop.
Though the writ petitions had nothing to do with the upkeep of the bus stand, the judge took note of complaints from various quarters of the bus stand lacking even basic amenities such as well maintained toilets and sufficient dust bins and ordered for an inspection by the advocate commissioners in public interest.
Subsequently, in a report filed before the court, the commissioners submitted that most of the male visitors to the bus stand were using an open toilet as that alone was allowed to be used free of cost.
A modern closed toilet available on the campus had been converted into a paid facility.
Stating that the drainage water from the bus stand was being let into a water body through an open channel, the commissioners said that it was one of the main reasons for unbearable stench in the area. They pointed out that the water body, in which the drainage was let out, was source of drinking water for many city residents.
One of the advocate commissioners, Mr. Thirunavukarasu also told the judge about the menace of touts who frequently harassed the passengers in the bus stand. Replying to it, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Anna Nagar Range, informed the court that he had posted two sub-inspectors of police and ten constables for the safety of the passengers.
