Your officers can be under pressure, not judiciary: Supreme Court to Maharashtra

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the state's officials could be "under pressure" but not the judiciary after the Maharashtra government questioned the correctness of a judicial officer's report on the allotment of e-rickshaw licences in Matheran, a hill station.

After the Maharashtra's counsel said the judicial officer's report may not "entirely be factually correct", Justice B R Gavai, who was on the bench with Justice Augustine George Masih, said, "Your officers can be under pressure, but not our judiciary." Automobiles are not allowed in Matheran, located about 83 kilometres away from Mumbai.

The state's counsel said it would be appropriate that the authorities undertook the process of allotment of licences, afresh.

"We will do the full process again," said the counsel.

The bench granted two weeks to the state government to come out with a proposal for revisiting the process of allotment of e-rickshaws.

The court also did not accept the submissions of one of the lawyers who said the August 13 2024 report was not based on correct appreciation of materials placed on record.

The apex court, which said the report was prepared by a responsible senior judicial officer, posted the matter on March 19.

While hearing the matter in November last year, the apex court questioned the Maharashtra authorities over allotment of the e-rickshaws licences in the hill station.

On January 10 last year, the apex court said that e-rickshaws would be provided only to those pulling hand-rickshaws in order to compensate them for their loss of employment.

In April 2024, the court limited to 20, the number of e-rickshaws in Matheran until further orders.

It permitted the e-rickshaw owners, who were earlier handcart pullers, to use the same for transporting tourists and the local population.

Later in July last year, the top court asked the principal district judge of Raigad to conduct an enquiry through a judicial officer into the dispute over the allotment of e-rickshaws.

Some applicants in the matter alleged in the court that e-rickshaws were not allotted to the original hand-rickshaw pullers but to hotel owners, etc.

The top court previously noted the submission that Matheran's special status was recognised by the apex court and the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a notification on February 4, 2003, declaring the hill station and the surrounding region as an eco-sensitive zone.