In one of the biggest episodes involving the 32-hour-long traffic jam that took place on June 27 on a national highway bypass, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) producer turned up in front of the Madhya Pradesh High Court without producing a written reply, not even one week after the last hearing. The Jam lasting the 8 km long stretch made motorcars stop moving for more than 24 hours and resulted in the loss of 3 lives, and this drew the wrath of the people, prompting an investigation thereafter.
A new lawyer, A.P. Singh of Delhi, will represent the NHAI during the Friday hearing. In the earlier hearing, leading to nationwide censure against the earlier woman lawyer, Singh came in place of her controversial statement, which went like this: “Why do people start out so early?” The callous remark that she made on the June 30 hearing had caused intense outrage in the nation and prompted her to step aside in the case.
The new lawyer asked the court to give him another week to file the power of attorney and the official reply. The bench, which consisted of Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi, permitted extension and at the same time disposed of two other pleas on the same ground by saying that this is unnecessary waving of multiple petitions when one public interest litigation (PIL) was already in process in relation to the issue.
As identified in the PIL, prepared by the advocate Tanishq Patel, the bypass road is in a deplorable condition, there have been frequent and dangerous jams on the road, the toll charges continue even without any maintenance of the road, and there is extreme negligence towards the maintenance of the roads. Stating that commuters have always raised complaints regarding the same, the court says that it is worried about the same and has now asked NHAI to give a comprehensive reply within one week.
This case has become a major case of failure in regard to a public infrastructure and indifference of authorities, and more obligations are coming upon NHAI to offer a proper explanation and concrete redress actions.
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