The Chhattisgarh High Court has directed the state government to submit details of all major roads in the state which need immediate repair and reconstruction.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Rajani Dubey heard two connected PILs on the matter on September 29.
While the writ petition (WPPIL No 105/2021) concerned the roads within the limits of Bilaspur Municipal Corporation, the suo motu plea (WPPIL No 127/2021) concerned other roads, including State Highways and National Highways throughout the state. The Court held that both the cases need to be heard separately and de-linked the petition.
In case of PIL No 105/2021, the Court said the preliminary inspection report has been filed by the Amicus Curiae, pointing out the condition of roads and the need for repairing/construction of various roads within the limits of Municipal Corporation, Bilaspur.
Pankaj Agrawal, Counsel for the respondent Municipal Corporation, submitted that all repairing/construction activities on the roads pointed out by the Amicus Curiae has already been undertaken or will shortly be undertaken. Considering the submission, the Court listed the plea for further hearing on October 28.
“Before the said date of hearing, the Amicus Curiae, the State Counsel and the Counsel for Bilapur Municipal Corporation shall submit a joint inspection report about the repairing/construction activities happening on the subject roads. In the meanwhile, to avoid further accidents and damage to the public, the respondents shall make all possible efforts to fill the potholes before actual repair is undertaken,” the order read.
Suo Motu WPPIL No 127/2021
This petition was registered while hearing WPPIL No 105/2021, therefore, the Court ordered that the three Amicus appointed in the said petition shall also assist the Court as Amicus Curiae in the suo motu petition.
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The High Court directed the state government to submit details of all major roads in the state, which need immediate repair and reconstruction. In cases where construction of roads is already underway, the report shall mention the date of commencement of work and the date of completion thereof, clarified the Court.
“For such roads where no contract for repair/reconstruction has been awarded or even tender process has not begun, the state shall specifically mention the plan which the state government desires to put in place for repair/reconstruction of roads,” the order read. The Court fixed October 22 as the next date of hearing in the suo motu plea.
On September 27, in the course of hearing in the WPPIL No 105 of 2021, Rajeev Shrivastava, Prateek Sharma and Raghvendra Pradhan, Amicus Curiae in the case, raised an issue of general importance about horrible condition of roads throughout the state and particularly the delay in construction of those roads either by the state government or by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The Counsels particularly referred to few roads, which were under construction for the last five years or more. The High Court ordered “Let a separate suo motu PIL be registered in the name of In Re Roads of Chhattisgarh vs State of Chhattisgarh & Others.”