The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu government to remove sanitation workers who have been staging a protest outside the Greater Chennai Corporation headquarters, the Ripon Building, for the past 13 days against the move to privatise conservancy operations in two city zones.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan, passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by D Thenmozhi, seeking enforcement of police notices served on the protesters to vacate the spot.
During the hearing, the petitioner argued that the sit-in had caused traffic disruptions and blocked pedestrian movement in the area.
The government and Greater Chennai Corporation told the court that the decision to privatise garbage collection in Zones V and VI was aimed at improving efficiency, ensuring better waste management and addressing manpower shortages. They said the plan had been implemented in other zones with positive results, and that repeated instructions had been issued to the striking workers to disperse and hold talks. Despite this, the protesters continued the agitation without securing the mandatory permission from authorities.
Appearing for the sanitation workers, their counsel contended that the demonstration was within their rights and claimed that the protest was not affecting the public. They also pointed out that the minister concerned had assured a resolution within a couple of days.
After hearing all parties, the bench held that occupying public footpaths without permission could not be allowed and ordered the state to clear the protest site. The court, however, instructed police to act with restraint and clarified that the workers could continue their agitation at officially designated protest venues after obtaining due permission.
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