Plea on civic issue: What are the MLAs doing, asks High Court

When a plea cited how villagers were forced to walk at least 3 km to reach the nearest police station despite it being a communally charged area with over 7,000 residents came before it for hearing on Monday, a division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha wondered why such issues were not being taken up through the local MLAs.

“We are not here to perform the role of the legislators,” the bench led by Justice Sathyanarayanan observed while seeking to take up such issues with local MLAs who are meant to take care of such matters.

Appearing for the petitioner, a farmer, counsel T Mohan said if the government was given a direction to submit the planning report, which they have agreed upon in principle, then the villages would lobby with the MLA to get the project completed. But not impressed with the reason behind seeking a causeway just to reach the police station, the bench suggested that a police outpost might serve their cause. It then observed in a lighter vein that of late every person owns a two-wheeler, leading to steep increase in the diabetic cases and that there would be no harm in people walking 2.5 km to reach the police station.

The counsel appearing for the government submitted that the project would entail acquisition of large tracts of agricultural land, and added that a plan was on the anvil. However, the bench suo motu impleaded the Superintendent of Police (Rural), and directed the government advocate to get instructions on the establishment of an outpost with regular patrolling in the area. The plea has been posted for further hearing to November 5.