SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has stressed the need for repairing the roads in the city falling under state PWD and Cantonment.
There are many dilapidated roads in parts of the city under both the entities but there are no periodical repairs.
While hearing the pending PIL on a related matter on Thursday, the Division Bench comprising Justices SR Sen and HS Thangkhiew said it had been brought to their notice that some portions of the road are under the control of PWD (National Highway) and some portions with the chief executive officer, Cantonment Board.
“Therefore, we direct the chief engineer PWD (NH) Government of Meghalaya, as well as chief executive officer, Cantonment Board, to repair the road within their respective controls and domains. The whole exercise should be completed within 30 days from today, failing which stern action will be taken,” the court said.
The matter will come up for hearing after the expiry of 30 days on December 21.
The chief engineer PWD (NH) and the chief executive officer of the Cantonment Board will have to file their status reports before the next date.
Paltan Bazar road
During the course of hearing of the petition, legal aid counsel S Saraogi had brought to the notice of the court that the roads starting from Jeep Stand (Bara Bazar) to National Highway, which is called Paltan Bazar, is in a very bad shape and school and public buses and trucks have to face a precarious situation and if that road is not repaired properly, any untoward incident may occur and many people, including schoolchildren, may suffer grievous injury or die.
“On the basis of submission advanced by legal aid counsel, we have taken serious note of the same. It is the duty of the government to save and protect the life of each and every citizen of the country and we could not understand how this has gone unnoticed by the government, especially the PWD,” the court said.
