Patna: Expressing concern over rampant encroachments of hawkers and illegally parked vehicles on roads and pavements in the capital, high court has served a show-cause to the Patna deputy inspector general (DIG) of police as to why he should not be punished for violating its earlier orders, passed in a public interest litigation (PIL) in this connection.The said PIL was instituted suo mottu on the basis of a front page news report of The Times of India, Patna edition, published on April 9, 2009, “Student killed by speeding bus”.
Hearing a contempt plea of one Rounak Sinha on October 21, a division bench of justices P B Bajanthari and S B P Singh, directed the Patna DIG to furnish digital photographs of all major roads of the state capital on November 11, when this matter will be heard again. A copy of the HC order was made available on Thursday.
Sinha’s counsel informed the court about its earlier order passed on July 13, 2011, which had entrusted the then DIG to ensure removal of hindrances on the roads and pavements, saying that it has been continuously violated. The counsel gave examples of traffic clogs at Patna Junction, Gandhi Maidan and other prominent places, caused by vendors and illegally parked vehicles.
Pulling up the state govt and Patna Municipal Corporation authorities, the two judges remarked that their “illegal understanding with encroachers have made it difficult for disabled and elderly persons, besides children, to walk on pavements as they are mostly occupied by parked vehicles or hawkers”. Citing the verdicts of the Supreme Court, the two judges said that footpaths and pavements are "acquired public lands" of roads and no private person has the right to occupy the same.