HC warns of contempt action against CS over potholed roads

Mumbai, Jul 31: The Bombay High Court today warned of contempt action against the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra government and other officers for failure to comply with an earlier order directing them to take various measures to make public roads and footpaths pothole-free.

The high court had on May 20 observed that citizens have a fundamental right to good roads and that it is the state government's statutory obligation to provide roads which are pothole-free.

The court had then passed several directions to authorities like BMC, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Mumbai Port Trust which have control over roads in the city to ensure that the potholes are repaired prior to the onsent of monsoon and submit compliance report by July 10.

It had also directed all civic bodies in the state, MMDRA, MSRDC and Mumbai Port Trust to provide a mechanism to enable citizens to file complaints about poor condition of roads.

"The facility of receiving complaints shall be made throughout the year.

Websites shall be designed in such a way that citizens can upload photos of the roads and also track their complaints," the court had said.

"Unless there is an effective mechanism provided to the citizens to file complaints they will not be in a position to enforce their constitutional as well as legal right to have well-maintained streets," it had said.

However, when the matter came up for hearing today before a division bench of Justices A S Oka and Revati Mohite-Dhere it was noted that none of the authorities had followed the high court directives completely.

The bench noted that no redressal mechanism has been set up till date. "We are giving last chance till August 6.

If on that day we find there has not been even a slightest compliance of our order then we will initiate contempt proceedings against the Chief Secretary and other officers," the court said.

PTI