The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to submit the dates and events pertaining to the steps initiated towards the establishment of a university for Indian Medicine at Chettikulam in Tirunelveli district, as per an earlier direction of the High Court.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi observed that the court in an order dated 2016 had already issued a direction to establish the university for Indian medicine. No steps have been initiated in this regard even after four years. The State has to respond to the issue on December 23, the judges said.
In 2016, the court had directed the State government to examine the feasibility of relocating the Siddha Medical College and Hospital to a land of a larger extent, where the institution could be developed into a State of the art institution with a possibility of elevating it to the status of an University.
In the present case, the court restrained the authorities from demolishing existing buildings and other places of common amenities in the college premises, to put up new buildings in the name of expansion. The funds could instead be utilised for the establishment of the new university in Chettikulam, the court said.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by S. Vijai Vikraman, a former student of Siddha Medical College and Hospital, Palayamkottai. He sought a direction to restrain the authorities concerned from demolishing the existing buildings on the premises to build a new building.