The Meghalaya High Court observed that it is neither possible nor desirable for the Court to monitor the regular upkeep and maintenance of a particular road, however critical the same may be.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Kerlang Ksoo on 18th February pertaining to the maintenance and upkeep of the Shillong Jowai NH6 Road.
The petition was instituted on the ground that the road was incomplete, ill-maintained and had numerous potholes that caused immense hardship and misery to the regular users thereof. The petitioner also complained of several accidents, some of them fatal.
It is submitted on behalf of the State that the maintenance work of the road has been undertaken and the potholes have been levelled. Indeed, the report indicates as such.
However, the petitioner complains that the quality of the repair works undertaken leaves a lot to be desired since the patchworks have already started wearing off within a few days of the repair work being undertaken.
The Bench held that the road is an important connection between two busy places in the State and it should be the State’s endeavour to ensure that regular maintenance work is undertaken so that the road is motorable and the potholes that may come up from time to time are filled up and repaired without undue delay.
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“It is neither possible nor desirable for the Court to monitor the regular upkeep and maintenance of a particular road, however critical the same may be”
-the Bench observed.
In the light of the report filed by the State and the assurance given by the State that regular maintenance work would be carried out to ensure free and smooth movement of traffic up and down the relevant road, the Court disposed of the PIL.