The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Madras High Court pulls up Inbatamizhan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 02, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Madras High Court pulls up Inbatamizhan

A. Subramani

"He was instrumental in removing panchayat chief"

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has strongly "deprecated" the "illegal and unlawful" role of Minister and Srivilliputtur MLA R.T. Inbatamizhan in the removal of a woman from the post of chairperson of the Srivilliputtur panchayat union.

Setting aside the orders of the Rural Development Department Secretary and the local Revenue Divisional Officer removing Seeniammal, Justice E. Dharma Rao said: "On going through the records, it is evident that it was the local MLA who initiated the move to bring a no-confidence motion against Ms. Seeniammal by sending a petition to the RDO."

Noting that Mr. Inbatamizhan's allegations were bald, the judge said: "The conduct and attitude of the MLA was certainly not in the interest of the ... public and also against the legislative intent. Such a conduct is highly deprecated. In a democratic set-up, the mandate of people is supreme, and their choice of selecting a representative from among them through a democratically held election should be honoured and protected." The initiation of no-confidence motion on flimsy and vague allegations against the elected representatives of people, as was done in the present case, was not in the interest of the public.

Challenging the orders of the authorities, Ms. Seeniammal said that less than 10 months after assuming office in October 2001, Mr. Inbatamizhan started insisting that contracts in the region be given to only those nominated by him. As she did not oblige, he orchestrated a no-confidence motion against her. He also petitioned the RDO to remove the chairperson.

Holding that Ms. Seeniammal's submission that the no-confidence motion against her was the handiwork of the MLA could not be taken lightly, Mr. Justice Dharma Rao said: "The legislature, in its wisdom, thought of providing proper representation to women in the administration of villages in Tamil Nadu... While that being so, it is evident that the petitioner, elected in a democratic way, was ousted from office at the instance of the MLA." The executive authorities "should not be a party to such illegal and unlawful acts" of others.

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