M. Sathyanarayanan, J.

1. The issue involved in these writ petitions pertains to according permission to the country boat fishermen to visit Katchatheevu to participate in St.Antony Church festival on 23.02.2018 and 24.02.2018 and therefore, all the writ petitions are disposed of by this common order.

W.P(MD)No.3308 of 2018:

2. This writ petition is filed as a Public Interest Litigation by the petitioner who claims that he is a practising Advocate in Ramanathapuram District Court and also a fisherman by birth and that their family for generation together worshipped St.Antony at Katchatheevu. The grievance expressed by the petitioner is that for very many years, the fishermen used to take country boat and vallams fitted with engines to go to Katchatheevu for the purpose of participating in St.Antony Church festival at Katchatheevu and all of a sudden, from 2014 onwards, they were prevented from doing so alleging safety.

3. The representations submitted by the petitioner on 16.01.2018 in this regard was rejected by the District Collector, Ramanathapuram District alleging that looking from safety angle, Vallam boats are not safe to go to Katchatheevu and challenging the legality of