MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently sought a response from the state highways department explaining the method by which the department ensures the quality of roads laid by them. It also sought details of the action taken against erring officials in case of substandard roads in the past five years as per a 2010 government order (G.O.).
Justice B Pugalendhi gave the direction on a petition filed by a quality control assistant engineer of the department, P Thavaneethi, challenging the charge memo issued to him on June 23, 2026, holding him responsible for substandard roads laid in six stretches of 198 kilometres of State Highways and 360 kilometres of major district roads in Sivagangai district.
Thavaneethi referred to a G.O. passed by the department on December 24, 2010, which, in case of any lapses in execution of road works, fixes responsibility on the field-level officers at the first level and quality control officers at the second level and the supervising officers at the third level. However, he has been selectively targeted in the above case, he alleged.
The judge observed that he earlier sought certain clarifications from the highways department on the action taken against erring officials in such cases. But the status report filed by the department was vague and did not answer the clarifications sought, he added.
When the court tried to access the full version of the GO from the department’s website, the same was not available on the website, he further noted and directed the department to provide a reason for not uploading the G.O., along with steps taken to implement it.
“Though the administrations have changed, it appears that the officers are protecting the wrongdoers by not initiating necessary action,” the judge criticised and sought details of action taken against first-, second- and third-level officers as per the G.O.
The case was adjourned to September 28.