KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday held the state government is responsible to maintain all public roads in good condition. It also directed the authorities to place sign boards to caution road users of the impending danger, if any.
The court made the observation while dismissing an appeal filed by Santhamma, a Pathanamthitta native, against the order of a sub-court in Pathanamthitta which dismissed her plea for compensation on the ground that there was no evidence to show that she had sustained injuries due to the bad condition of the road.
The court observed if the state and the PWD department failed to maintain all public roads in good condition, the State will have to compensate any person who suffers an injury. It’s also indisputable that the state would be liable for the negligence on the part of its employees, HC said.
The petitioner had alleged that her left leg had got trapped in a two feet deep pothole, resulting in multiple fractures on her left ankle.