A group of devotees today laid near siege of the district collectorate, protesting against the failure of HR and CE department to implement the Madras High Court order that ruled That the temple at Seventh Hills of Vellingiri in Poondi, about 35 Kms from here be opened for lighting the lamp.

Led by president of Vellingiri Andavar Karthikai Nanda Jothi, D Senthil Kumarthe devotees, numbering nearly 30, reached the collectorate with pooja articles, like flower, coconut and raised slogans in favour of their demand, police said.

According to Senthil, the lighting of lamp at the temple on the top of the hills daily during the Tamil months of Karthikai and Margali (running month) was a ritual being followed for the last 23 years.

Since the temple door was closed, he filed a case at the High Court, as both the collector and HR and CE department officials did not bother to pay heed the request of devotees. The Judge M M Sundaresh ordered on December 22, to open the temple for the devotees to perform the rituals, he claimed.

The collector, Archana Patnaik had promised to ask the temple executive officer to open the temple. However, the officer was not not available for the last couple of days and also the Joint Commissioner of HR and CE, Senthil said, adding that he had lodged a complaint in Alandurai Police station, seeking to find out information about the “missing officers”.

The protest with pooja articles was to highlight the aparty ofthe officials in non-implementation of the Court order, Senthil said.