BENGALURU: Taking note of the city’s monstrous traffic problem, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday suggested setting up of a monitoring committee by the administration to tackle it.Observing that the growing traffic has become a serious challenge, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Krishna S Dixit said that some serious measures were required to tackle traffic which is growing out of proportion in Bengaluru.
The court was hearing public interest litigation filed by Vijayan Menon and others in 2015 seeking directions to address the city’s haunting problems such as poor roads, potholes, etc.Although it was observed that nobody is held responsible for any lapse in the present traffic scenario, the court said that it should not happen that way and the movement of public at large should not be affected.
The court also invited concrete suggestions from the government, BBMP and petitioners to deal with the situation. They were asked to submit the same by June 20.
As far as potholes are concerned, the court ordered the BBMP to submit the status report, including the work done so far. Meanwhile, Additional Advocate General A S Ponnanna brought to the notice of the court the direction issued by the Chief Minister for filling up of 1,500 potholes in city and BBMP counsel K N Puttegowda informed the court that as many as 1,000 potholes have been filled.
The court also sought to know whether the practice of displaying a board containing the names of
engineers and contractors undertaking civic works is being followed or not. If that practice is in force, it will help the citizens to track the work done by them and if proper procedure is being followed to which Puttegowda submitted that such details are being provided in the website of BBMP.
Creation of Blue Print Action Group unwarranted: HC
Bengaluru: Questioning the setting up of the Bangalore Blue Print Action Group (BBPAG), whose mandate is parallel to the constitutionally-mandated Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee, the High Court observed that there was no necessity to do it. A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Krishna S Dixit made this observation while hearing a PIL challenging the constitution of BBPAG on April 28, 2016, on the ground that it is not necessary as BMPC is already exists. The court also noted that it is high time to stop such things as the government can invite experts or take suggestions from them if need arises. "Let the statutory bodies work. Creating parallel body is undesirable, unwarranted and absolutely uncalled for, as such bodies will only add to confusion," the court said. The court also asked the Additional Advocate General A S Ponnanna to get instructions from the government and place the same before it on Friday.