HC orders state to undertake to keep denotified NHs traffic-worthy

In fresh arguments before the High Court of Karnataka, liquor licensees stated on Thursday that if de facto bypasses exist for notified national highways, such stretches of national highways passing through municipal areas automatically vest in the state government or the municipal corporation.

They contended that there was no need for the Central government to denotify the stretches of national highways passing through municipal corporation areas.

The licensees submitted that not only they but also their employees and daily wage workers are suffering as their licences had not been renewed. The licensees stressed urgently denotifying national highways 4 and 7 in Bengaluru and renewing their licences so that they could resume business.

The submissions made by counsel for liquor licensees were refuted and opposed by both the Centre and the state government.

They said the National Highways Act, 1956, clearly states that all national highways vest in the Central government unless it denotifies them.

Justice Vineet Kothari directed the state government to undertake that all the stretches of national highways that are proposed to be denotified would be developed and maintained as per the national highway standards and shall be kept in traffic-worthy condition by the state and the local bodies for travellers.

The judge directed that the state government give a grant of Rs 8 lakh per kilometre to local bodies for maintaining the roads.

Justice Kothari also directed that a copy of the undertaking be given to the Central government and to the court to avoid the delay in considering the denotification. The state government accordingly made submissions before the court.

The counsel for the Centre sought two weeks to verify and decide on the request made by the state government. The judge adjourned the hearing until August 17.