BENGALURU: The Government of India on Thursday informed the Karnataka High Court that it has requested the state government to give an undertaking that it will ensure that all the National Highways (NHs) passing through cities and towns will be developed and maintained as per NH standards, if those stretches are denotified for renewal of licences of liquor shops.
This was in response to a letter written by the state government on June 15, 2017, seeking denofification of 704.54 km NH stretches in Karnataka, including 77.64 km of National Highway 4 and 7 in Bengaluru.
Additional Solicitor General Prabhuling Navadagi made this submission before Justice Vineet Kothari during the hearing of a batch of petitions filed by owners of bars and restaurants seeking directions to the state government to denotify stretches of highways passing through the city and renewal of licence of liquor shops.
In its communication dated July 25, 2017, issued to the Additional Chief Secretary, PWD, Karnataka, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (planning zone) observed that the proposal of the state government includes many short stretches of NHs ranging from around 0.5 km to 2 or 3 km. It needs to be appreciated that denotifying such small stretches in the absence of any bypasses, etc., would lead to discontinuity of NH alignments. Further, ensuring regular development, maintenance and traffic worthiness of such isolated NH stretches after their denotification and handing over to state government, containing ribbon developments/encroachments etc., would also be challenging issues which may lead to difficulties for smooth plying of traffic on NHs, the ministry said.
In view of this, the state government has been requested to review its comprehensive proposal accordingly and modify/supplement it also considering the preparedness of local authorities/state government to ensure that such small isolated stretches of NHs, if denotified, shall be adequately developed and maintained in compliance with NH standards, so that through traffic plying on national highways are not inconvenienced, the ministry said.
The ministry, besides asking the Karnataka government to furnish an undertaking in this regard, has also asked the state government/local body to keep those stretches in traffic-worthy condition out of their own budgetary resources.
The Government of India has also informed the court that it is pursuing the matter with the Ministry of Law and Justice for furnishing legal opinion.
The ministry has expressed the opinion that it is difficult to give an opinion at this stage, as the matter is pending before the apex court.
Taking note of the submission, the court adjourned the hearing to August 3.