A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking a direction to the State government to initiate punitive action against a Public Works Department (PWD) Chief Engineer for reportedly issuing a circular last month asking his subordinates to perform special prayers in temples for a good monsoon this year.

The petitioner, N. Ilango, an office-bearer of Madurai Bench of Madras High Court Bar Association (MMBA), accused S. Asokan, Chief Engineer (Irrigation), Water Resources Organisation, Tiruchi Region, of having failed to perform the fundamental duties cast upon every citizen, under Article 51A (h) of the Constitution, to develop scientific temper, humanism, spirit of enquiry and reform.

In his strongly worded affidavit filed along with the petition, the advocate said: “The act of the fourth respondent (Chief Engineer) is not only a mockery but also idiotic. The fourth respondent who is a postgraduate in engineering has gone to the level of directing his subordinates to perform puja for getting rain… Definitely, this method would not have found place in his B.E or M.E syllabus.”

The petitioner also stated that the State government had issued communication to all officials way back in 1968 itself directing them to remove pictures and idols of Gods and Goddesses from government offices. It was followed by a Government Order passed in 1993 directing Collectors and other Heads of Departments not to allow construction of religious structures within their office campuses.

Court directive

Further, as early as in 2010, a Division Bench comprising of Justices F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla (now a Supreme Court judge) and K.B.K. Vasuki directed the government to make sure that the 1993 G.O. was implemented in letter and spirit.

“We, therefore, state that the respondents should… take all possible steps for maintaining communal harmony in government offices,” the Bench had said.

Despite these orders, government officials were continuing to indulge in religious activities, such as conducting special pujas seeking rainfall, the petitioner contended and urged the court to order initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the Chief Engineer.

A Division Bench of Justices S. Manikumar and G. Chockalingam on Tuesday adjourned the case to June 30 for further hearing.

“This method would not have found place in his B.E. or M.E syllabus”