Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to ensure that the road widening project in the city of Srinagar, already approved, was completed within a period of three months.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of the court headed by Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey also directed the divisional commissioner to ensure implementation of the project report of the road widening at Qamarwari and other areas, in an around the Srinagar city.
The court also directed the divisional commissioner Kashmir to ensure that further road widening required was taken up in consultation with the Chief Engineer, Roads & Building, Kashmir, Srinagar, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Vice Chairman, Srinagar Development Authority, SSP Traffic, city Srinagar and all other allied agencies. “In consultation and on consensus, the project report, so prepared, shall be shared with the Court on the next date of hearing so that the directions are issued accordingly for its implementation.”
The court also directed Commissioner Transport, Inspector General of Police (Traffic), SSP (Traffic) Srinagar, RTO Kashmir and all ARTOs of Kashmir division to ensure plying of Tata Sumos/ Taveras/ taxi cabs, only through permissible routes and ensure that the vehicles are color coded.
“This is required to ensure that the vehicles coming through impermissible routes are immediately identified by the traffic regulatory authority including the traffic Magistrates of the areas and same are seized,” said the division bench, also comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta.
“The stringent measures are required to be taken in hand to see that the penalty serves as a deterrent for not only the erring vehicle owners but to the rest of the lot also,” the court said.