CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that the constitution of district level committees is being contemplated for eradicating the ‘slavery’ system of engaging police personnel as orderlies for doing personal works of higher officials.

Advocate General PS Raman made the submission before the division bench of justices SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan on Wednesday when a petition regarding eviction of encroachments on public land and inadequacy of cops for providing protection for such work came up for hearing.

Recording the submission, the bench instructed the state government to constitute such committees under the leadership of the district collectors instead of superintendents of police (SPs).

“The committees shall also have an officer from the revenue department in the rank of DRO,” the bench said, adding the functions of such committees shall directly be supervised by the home secretary.

The AG informed the court that the home secretary has issued directions to the DGP on the steps to be taken for eradicating the orderly system and submitted a copy of the communication in this regard.

The home secretary has asked the DGP to ensure immediately that the orderly system is completely eradicated in all the units and to ensure that no police personnel in the unit is deputed for any duty on OSD basis without written orders of the DGP/Head of Police Force, the AG told the court.

Describing the orderly system as a ‘colonial practice’, the bench said misuse of the powers by the superior officers in the police department shall be minimised, otherwise, it may lead to a mind-set tempting them towards corruption and other unlawful activities.

The bench also said that engaging trained police men for personal works of higher officials cannot be permitted since the department is already grappling with man power shortage.