PIL on repairs of Jammu-Srinagar highway

Hearing public interest litigation, a division bench of Justices Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Ali Mohammad Magrey directed the respondents including Chief Engineer R&B to repair the ditches on the national high way from Srinagar to Qazigund. The bench also directed the authorities to take all necessary steps for ensuing smooth flow of the traffic on the said high way
Meanwhile, court issued notice to state government, Director General National Authority of India New Delhi, project manager NHAI, Director General BRO as well as Managing Director and project manager Ramky Infrastructure for reply to the PIL by civil society Tral through advocate G N Shaheen. The court sought their response by April 13.
While the petitioners seek directions for repairing the National Highway from Jammu to Srinagar especially from Banihal to Srinagar and Srinagar to Baramulla, they also seek to macadamize the existing old NH1A to make it fit for vehicular traffic to the minimum international and national standards level for the convenience of general public.
The civil society also seeks directions to the concerned authorities to constitute a team of experts for spot inspection and conduct of survey of NH1A and other link roads of Kashmir valley to assess the gravity of dilapidated condition of the roads. The committee, the petitioners pleaded should be directed to submit a detailed report with complete remedial suggestions in a time bound period.
The civil society pleads for fixing liability of maintenance of the existing HH1A from Jammu to Srinagar for the purposes of maintenance and development on a war footing. It also seeks directions to authorities including the police to take action against the residents involved directing the flow of sewage water on the roads across the whole state.
The petitioners plead that Chief Engineers of R&B Kashmir and Jammu should be directed to submit a detailed report of the strength of the road guards and coolies and explain why such employees are paid from the state exchequer when they never work practically to maintain the roads and prevent the damage.
The petitioners said neither Border Roads Organization, nor the Ramky Infrastructure Limited or the R&B Department are making the repairs of the road for past more than 6 years.
“The entire road especially from Ramban to Srinagar is in dilapidated condition with pits and ditches all along which condition cannot be explained in words. The road is not maintained at all by any of the agencies and even the State government or the Central Government is not taking any step for its repairs”.