Bombay HC gives new meaning to bad roads

Mumbai: The Bombay high court (HC) observed that not just roads with potholes but also uneven and unlit roads, or those with open manholes, damaged paver blocks and footpaths, would be considered as bad roads. 

A division bench comprising of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice P.N.Deshmukh was dictating an order on the suo-moto PIL pertaining to potholes in the city.

Justice Gautam Patel had written a letter to the then Chief Justice of Bombay HC and brought the city’s pothole issue to the court’s notice. The letter also contained news articles on frequent road accidents of two wheelers in the city and its outskirts. 

While dictating the order, the court initially concentrated on the duties of corporations, nagar parishads and the government to maintain and improve condition of roads in the state. The court said the state government could have formed policies to repair roads if corporations and nagar parishads had failed to maintain roads. “The state has wide powers under the MRTP Act if corporations didn’tadhere to their duties under the respective corporation laws. But they (state) never took any steps” said the court.

The court said the state government had issued GR in 2013, which had dealt with the larger issue of road repairs in the city but unfortunately it remained on paper only. The court said due to the lackadaisical approach of the state and BMC, the court had, in its earlier order, constituted the two sitting judge committee to monitor the complaint received by the Maharashtra state legal authorities from all over the state. 

The said committee also suggested that simple and easily available grievances redressal forum needs to be constituted. The court on Saturday said creating such forum will not be sufficient but the quick response and action from the corporation is also equally important. The court will continue its order dictation to Monday.