Madras HC dismisses PIL to allow beacon lights on vehicles of health officials

The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking to allow blue beacon lights on vehicles used by the officials of health department.  The first bench comprising of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan said, “We are not inclined to entertain the PIL for inclusion of further categories in Government Order dated 15.11.2014 of the Home (Transport –V) department though we make it clear that this order will not preclude the representation of the petitioner already made being examined by the said Authorities.” The petition was filed by Dr. G Ravindranath, General Secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, in Chennai. The petitioner stated in the PIL that the officers of Public Health Department are carrying out and supervising the emergency duties 24X7 in the state level and district level. He also added that the health department is on emergency duty, protecting the public from epidemic diseases like cholera, dengue, swine flu, MERS-COVI, yellow fever virus and other deadly virus and also from the flood, earthquake and natural calamities. In such a scenario, he wants the officials of the health department to be included in the government order dated 15.11.2014 of the Home (Transport-V) department.  Furthermore, he said that the petitioners’ association had repeatedly requested the authorities vide their representations dated 19.08.2016 and 30.03.2016 to the concerned authorities to include them in the list. As there was no response, the petitioner said that he is constrained to approach the High Court through a PIL.