Pro-active action taken to stop 'colonial' practice of orderly system, Tamil Nadu government informs Madras High Court

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that all pro-active actions were initiated to stop the 'colonial' practice of orderly system across the State.

Additional public prosecutor R Muniyapparaj made the above submission when the petition filed by Sujatha came up for hearing before Justices S M Subramaniam and M Jothiraman.

In her petition, Sujatha sought a direction to the authorities to consider and decide her representation, which contained several complaints including the one against the prison authorities utilising uniformed personnel for their domestic work.

The bench had on November 8, 2024 directed the Home Secretary to conduct an elaborate enquiry either with the assistance of CBCID wing of the state police or by getting necessary inputs from the Intelligence Wing and initiate all appropriate action against the prison authorities who have engaged the uniformed personnel/public servants for their domestic or personal work, in all the prisons across Tamil Nadu.

In its order passed recently, the bench said the Deputy Secretary to Government, Home Department, has filed a status report with reference to the actions taken to abolish the orderly system both in Police Department and Prison Department wherein, the Uniformed Services Personnel were deputed to perform residential work of the higher officials.

The bench said the Additional public prosecutor submitted that all pro-active actions were initiated to stop the colonial practice of orderly system across Tamil Nadu. The Government has issued orders to abolish it and the authorities were in the process of eliminating the orderly system, the APP added.

The bench made it clear that the colonial practice or mindset in this regard, must be completely eradicated in a democratic country like India. "The system is unconstitutional", the bench added.

The bench said the APP also submitted that the authorities require four weeks time to ensure complete implementation of the Government Orders.

"Enabling the Authorities to implement the Government Orders in its letter and spirit and to re-depute all the Uniformed Services Personnel for public duties, four weeks time is granted", the bench added and posted to January 30, further hearing of the case.