HC slams State for poor condition of roads

The right to travel is a fundamental right and the denial of motorable roads is unacceptable, said Kerala High Court Justice Devan Ramachandran, who is considering the issue of poor conditions of roads in the State.

He noted that it was a matter of concern that the citizens had to ask for at least motorable roads in this century. The court cannot be burdened with the task of overseeing the repair of roads. “Enough and more orders, as also judgment, have been issued and if roads are still in disrepair, causing injuries and deaths to our citizens, then there is a systemic failure,” the court noted.

Incidentally, the car in which the judge was travelling had met with an accident on Saturday when a tyre of his car burst while travelling on the Thrissur-Kuttippuram State Highway. The reports filed by the Amici Curiae S. Vinod Bhat and S. Krishna on the roads that needed repair were not taken seriously by the officers concerned, criticised the judge. The court orally observed that every life was precious and should not be lost due to the negligence of authorities.

The court noted that the road between Kunnamkulam and Thrissur was admittedly in grave disrepair. Earlier, the court had directed the District Collectors to intervene in their capacity as the Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority to treat dangerous potholes on the roads as a man-made cause of potential disaster. However, the “court really wonders what the District Collector in this case was doing,” he noted.The standing counsel for the National Highway Authority of India sought time to produce certain relevant information regarding the condition of the road stretch between Aroor and Thuravoor. The court posted the case for October 9.

Published - October 01, 2024 11:00 pm IST