Rs 50K relief to woman for delay in restoring water connection

COIMBATORE: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has ordered the government to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to a woman from Tirupur and initiate disciplinary action against a panchayat secretary and block development officer (BDO) in Tirupur for disconnecting and failing to restore water connection to her house.

The commission has also recommended the government to ensure family members of women presidents of village panchayats do not interfere in the administration as per the rules framed under the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994.

The complainant, V Pushpalatha from Samigoundanpalayam in Palladam, claimed that her water connection was disconnected by M Suresh Kumar, Semmipalayam panchayat secretary at the behest of Punniyamoorthi, the husband of the panchayat president without giving any prior notice on May 6, 2020.

Though she paid the arrear amount of Rs 4,920 on May 14, 2020 Suresh Kumar and Wilson, BDO in Palladam failed to restore water connection causing hardship to her. She then lodged a complaint at Palladam police station.

Finally, the water connection was restored only on June 2, 2020. The SHRC member D Jayachandran issued an order saying that it is categorically established by the complainant that the duo wantonly refused to receive the arrears of water tax from the complainant and disconnected the connection as instructed by the husband of the Semmipalayam panchayat president.

Therefore, the SHRC issued an order to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to Pushpalatha within one month and recover Rs 25,000 each from M Suresh Kumar and Wilson. It also recommended the government to ensure that family members do not interfere in the administration of the village panchayats, failing which stringent action should be taken against them.