Sri Vaikuntam Court building crumbles, reconstruction delayed for over a decade

THOOTHUKUDI: The Srivaikuntam combined court building is in a dilapidated condition and has been lacking basic amenities for over 10 years. The reconstruction plans have been delayed as the state government has not allocated funds yet, though an estimation and building plan were approved years ago, said sources.

The combined court includes the courts of Judicial Magistrate 1, Judicial Magistrate 2, the district munsif court and a sub-court. While JM-1 and munsif court function in the dilapidated 170-year-old building on a one-and-a-half acre campus, the JM-2 and sub-court are housed in rented buildings due to space constraints.

The combined courts have more than 200 staff members, and the bar association has 100 advocates. The former secretary of the Srivaikuntam Bar Association, Adv Muthuramalingam, said that over 1,000 persons visit the court campus every day. However, there are no adequate toilets for the court staff and the public.

One or two lavatories meant for judges are used by the staff. Women advocates and the women court staff members find this embarrassing, he said. Advocates buy potable water cans due to the lack of onsite water facility, said another advocate, adding, this has been our fate for over 10 years.

A lawyer said the court hall vibrates when a lorry goes on the road. A bar association member recalled that the century-old building was submerged up to 12 feet during the massive flood in December 2023, and this weakened the building further.

The Public Works Department (PWD) had reported that the 50-year-old judges’ quarters at Puthukudi and the court building are unstable, while refusing to carry out maintenance works, said official sources.

The judges here stay in rented buildings as their quarters have been declared unstable. This is a serious issue as the remand of accused has to be conducted in a public place in Srivaikuntam, which is deemed sensitive to caste issues, say activists.

Sources said that the building plans for a new court complex were drawn at an outlay of `17 crore in 2017. The plan comprises an administration office, judge chambers, court halls, parking area for public and court staff, space for men and women bar members, sanitary complexes and additional facilities.

Later, following the flood in December 2023, the structural plan was revised by elevating the building, leaving the ground floor for parking so that the campus could escape floods.

The revised estimate has exceeded `25 cr, however, the successive state governments had not allocated funds, said sources. The advocates said that they expected the TVK government to allot the funds during this demand for grants, however, it did not happen.

Bar association members said there is a demand for protecting the court premises as heritage buildings.