PIL in HC on making road contractors accountable

The High Court on Tuesday ordered notice to the State government and the BBMP with regard to a PIL seeking directions to hold the contractors accountable for the upkeep of City roads.  

The petitioners, residents of Koramangala, have contended that the ministers concerned woke up after seven deaths were reported in six months on the pothole-riddled roads and issued statement that the roads will be surveyed and suitable directions will be given to the officials concerned to repair the pothole-ridden roads in the City.

The petitioners have sought for a mechanism with regard to disbursements of compensation to victim of road accidents resulting from potholes, to make a policy for awarding contracts taking into consideration criteria like the quality of the work previously done by the contractor, the past experience, competence, financial capacity and credentials of the contractors.

Inlcusion of clauses
They further sought the competent authority to include clauses pertaining to accountability for faulty roads in such contracts and to hold the BBMP commissioner responsible for any illegality or arbitrariness in taking decision of awarding a contract, including the decision to award contract in favour of a party with unsatisfactory past performance. 

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice B V Nagarathna ordered notice and adjourned the hearing till October 16.

Ban on tobacco sought
The Cancer Patients Aid Association has approached the court seeking prohibition on manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of all forms of chewing tobacco. The petitioner has contended that the State and Union governments had failed to enforce theban on sale and distribution of chewing tobacco. “Though Karnataka has banned gutkha, plain chewing tobacco is sold separately in separate pouches,” the petition said.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice BV Nagarathna ordered notice.

The High Court has ordered notices to the State and Central governments in PIL seeking mandatory 'car crash test' for all kinds of cars, especially low-end cars. The petitioner, an orthopaedic doctor, has sough directions from the court to make protective gears such as air bags mandatory in all cars. A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee ordered notice.