Chennai, Sep 5 (IANS): The Madras High Court has decided to initiate suo motu contempt of court proceedings against the Tamil Nadu government for non-compliance with its directive.

Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice (ACJ), D Krishnakumar directed the High Court Registry to list the suo motu contempt petition for September 12.

The government reportedly did not comply with a direction issued by the Madras High Court on November 25, 2016, to install sanitary napkin vending machines in government high and higher secondary schools for the convenience of students.

The court directed Additional Advocate General R Neelakandan to obtain instructions from the Social Welfare and School Education departments on the status of the vending machines.

The action by the Madras High Court ACJ is following a news report that some of those machines were lying idle and therefore, wanted to know whether the court order was being implemented in letter and spirit.

The 2016 order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justices S Nagamuthu (since retired) and Justice Krishnakumar on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition.

It may be recalled that the PIL had been filed by the Women Advocates Association (WAA) at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.

The association’s general secretary, J Anandhavalli had sought a direction to the state government to install sanitary napkin vending machines as well as incinerators in all government schools.

The Division Bench had while disposing the PIL issued a slew of directions, which included the construction and maintenance of toilets in all government schools.

The Bench had warned the Chief Educational Officers and District Educational Officers of contempt proceedings if it was found that the toilets were not maintained properly.

The Division Bench had ordered the appointment of a sufficient number of sanitation workers either on a permanent basis or through outsourcing, in all government schools, depending on the student strength.

The court had also directed the school education department not to make students clean the toilets.

It ordered that there should be at least one sanitation worker for each school.

The Division Bench had then said, “Wherever possible, napkin vending machines shall be installed in all government girls and co-education high schools and higher secondary schools and wherever it is not possible, the teachers (women) shall supply the same to the girl students. The quality of the napkins should be ensured. This order shall be implemented immediately.”

The Bench had ordered the construction of at least one masonry stove, alternative to incinerators in all government girls as well as co-educational high and higher secondary schools for the safe disposal of the used sanitary napkins.

The court had directed the school education department that construction must be carried out by the end of the academic year 2016-17.