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India: Law suit in Madras high court challenges chief engineer’s circular to perform worship at temples for rain

15 June 2015

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The Times of India

PIL in Madras HC challenges chief engineer’s circular to conduct puja for rain

L Saravanan, TNN | Jun 15, 2015, 08.32 PM IST

PIL in Madras HC challenges chief engineer’s circular to conduct puja for rain
The circular would encourage those people who were exploiting the public in the name of religion, the petitioner said

MADURAI: A public interest litigation was filed in the Madurai bench of the Madras high court challenging a circular that asked water resource organization engineers to perform pujas at temples for rain.

In his PIL, Madurai-based advocate N Ilango said water resource organization chief engineer (irrigation) S Asokan issued a circular to executive engineers in the Trichy division directing them to perform special pujas at temples on June 1 so that the state would get more rain and the Mettur dam would have more water.

"By the circular, the officer said goodbye to Article 51 A which speaks to develop scientific temper, humanism and spirit of inquiry and reform," the petitioner said.

The circular would encourage those people who were exploiting the public in the name of religion, he said.

He said the chief engineer’s act was a violation of Rule 14A of the Tamil Nadu Government Servant Conduct Rules.

He wanted the court’s direction to chief secretary, public works department secretary and water resource organization chief engineer to take punitive action against the officer who had issued circular.

When the matter came up for hearing, the division bench of justices S Manikumar and G Chockalingam said the circular was stated as a confidential one and wanted the petitioner to explain how he had got it.

The court adjourned the matter to June 30.

P.S.

The above report from The Times of India is reproduced here in public interest and is for educational purposes