CHENNAI: Leaky roofs, wet patches on walls, tea cups and wrappers strewn around and unprotected entrances greet the litigants and public who come to the new Combined Court Complex at Alandur, as lawyers claimed that they work amidst various handicaps including an unsafe campus that has no police security and lacks maintenance.Lawyers claimed that water leakage in the roof of the building has increased after the recent monsoon rains. “Water leaks on the head of people sitting in rooms,” a lawyer claimed. The Rs 8.6 crore facility was inaugurated on July, 2011. Bala Amudhanadhan, president, Alandur Court Lawyers Association, claimed that he made attempts a week ago to call the people in charge to solve the issue of seepage but to no avail. “In September, we faced a similar problem of leaking roofs. The engineer came and cleared only those parts. Now, it is leaking again after the recent rains, especially near the pillars in the building, which was constructed in a short span of time,” he claimed.Apart from the leaking roofs, in the three-storey building that had four courts, lawyers claimed that the premises was unsafe without any police security. They alleged that everyone including judges, accused persons and their relatives use the same entrance. They pointed out that the last time they saw cops securing the premises was in September when the framed picture of Dr Ambedkar that was hung near the entrance, was found in a gutter. “They gave protection only for two days. Everyday, more than 600 people come to this court,” a lawyer claimed.Sanitation is another issue as one can see empty teacups and other used materials thrown inside the court compound. The lawyers claimed that they had to shell out from their pockets to bring sweepers to keep the place clean and peons themselves clean the toilets in the court. “Outsiders come and sell tea and snacks inside the court campus and public throw wrappers and cups on the ground. A woman, who used to sell ‘sundal’ in the High Court has now come here, as she could not go there after the security beef up. As it is, there are snakes in the bushes behind the building here and no proper parking lot,” another lawyer claimed.More than all these issues the lawyers and judicial officials face in the court campus, their efforts to bring a bus stand near the court to help litigants was yet to become fruitful. “People will have to get down at Asarkhana, which is almost two km away, and walk to the court. A letter had been sent to MTC requesting a bus stop but nothing had happened so far,” Bala Amudhanadhan said.
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