The DMK has filed a contempt of court petition in the Madras High Court against a host of Central and State government officials for allegedly disobeying court orders on extending the benefit of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the medical and dental seats contributed to the All India Quota (AIQ) by State government-run medical and dental colleges every year.
In the contempt petition filed through senior counsel P. Wilson, the party said the first Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy had on July 27 held that there was no constitutional or legal impediment to provide reservation to OBCs in the AIQ seats. The judges also directed the Centre to constitute a committee to fix the percentage and the other terms for OBC reservation from the next academic year.
Though the court had specifically ordered that the Director General of Health Services and the State Health Secretary be a part of the committee, both these officials had been left out, the party said.
It also arrayed Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam as one of the contemnors for having reportedly nominated a member of the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation to the committee instead of nominating the Health Secretary, as directed by the court.
Modifications made
The party also complained that the terms of reference of the committee had been modified and that they were not in consonance with court orders.
It alleged that the officials had intentionally disobeyed court orders to drag on the issue and not provide reservation to the OBCs.
