Madurai
Madurai
Bench of the Madras High Court has suo motu impleaded various State departments in a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the State to constitute an expert committee to supervise rural road works in Kanniyakumari district.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi observed that it was common knowledge that indiscriminate repair and relaying of roads without milling / scrapping the existing roads would lead to considerable increase in the height of roads. During rainy season, buildings and houses would get flooded and drainages blocked as a result of such indiscriminate repairs. The quality of roads in the State was not up to the mark in the past 25 years.
Unless quality roads were laid, accidents could not be prevented, the judges said and suo motu impleaded the departments of Highway and Minor Ports; Water Supply; Public Works; Rural Development and Panchayat Raj; Municipal Administration and the Directorate of Town Panchayats and sought responses in the case.
The court was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by S.M. Anthony Muthu from Nagercoil who sought a direction to the State government to check and verify the measurement and quality of roads by constituting an expert committee. The court sought a status report and sought to know if earlier orders on similar issues were complied with. The case was adjourned to November 30.
