By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The lack of pro active steps on part of the Government to ease the traffic congestion in National Highway 44 has compelled a Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court to form a committee of State Government officials to address the issue at the earliest.
Delivering its verdict on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the traffic congestion in the city, a Division Bench comprising Justice T Vaiphei and Justice SR Sen in its order on September 14 said that the committee, which shall submit its report within two months from the date of receipt of the order before the Registrar of the Bench, would be headed by Transport Principal Secretary JP Prakash as Chairman. The Principal Secretary to Urban Affairs department P Naik will be the member secretary of the committee.
The other members of the committee are PWD Secretary S Chyrmang, Inspector General of Police GHP Raju, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal, former Chief Information Commissioner GP Wahlang and former Rangbah Shnong of Mission Compound, Geoffrey Basan.
“Keeping in mind the problems being faced by the people, we constitute the committee and its main task is to find the root cause of the traffic congestion along National Highways as well as in Shillong. The committee would come up with suitable recommendations on how to ease such unprecedented traffic congestion for smooth plying of vehicles and movement of the public in general,” the court stated.
The committee has been given the liberty to consult the reports, if any, filed by other committees earlier on the issue.
The court also requested the committee to find out the measures taken during the last President’s Rule in the State when the movement of traffic was comparatively smooth.
Earlier, the court refused to accept the plea of Additional Advocate General KS Kynjing to give the State Government time to come up with measures to ease the traffic congestion.
Refusing to accept Kynjing’s appeal, the two judges insisted on the constitution of the committee as suggested by the Amicus Curiae A Paul.
In reply, the Advocate General submitted that formation of a committee may overlap the Government’s decision and that the court could instead suggest some measures to improve the traffic situation.
However, the court observed that it did not have the expertise at hand to suggest remedies or find the root cause of traffic congestion.
“We have perused with the affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary WMS Pariat. After going through the affidavit, we could not satisfy ourselves that the State Government has come to any positive conclusion to ease the traffic congestion in the National Highways as well as in Shillong,” the court stated in its order.
The court further said that despite the claims of the Government, the traffic situation has remained unchanged.
“Keeping in mind the interest of the public at large, we are of the prima facie view that a committee needs to be constituted to find the reason for such unprecedented traffic congestion both in National Highways as well as in Shillong and to suggest remedies/measures,” the court said.
