High Court slams officials for not cracking down on flex boards
‘How much more human blood do bureaucrats expect roads to be painted with’
14/09/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI
Appalled over the menace of illegal flex boards having claimed many lives and caused injuries to several others over the years, the Madras High Court on Friday asked how many more litres of human blood do the bureaucrats expect the roads to be painted with before they pull up their socks and begin taking stringent action against the ubiquitous illegality.
Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee came down heavily on the local body as well as police officials for having failed to implement in letter and spirit multiple orders passed by the court directing them to prevent erection of flex boards put up in public places without authorisation from officials concerned, including the traffic police.
Taking serious note of the death of 22-year-old R. Subasri at Pallikaranai here on Thursday, Justice Seshasayee asked: “Is this the value that the life of a citizen has in this country? Why are bureaucrats so insensitive?”
‘Bureaucratic apathy’
Impressing upon the need to think of the significant contribution that the youngster could have made in the development of the country had she not died due to the freak accident, the judge said: “There is zero respect for lives in this country. It’s sheer bureaucratic apathy. Sorry to say that we, or at least I, have lost faith in the government.”
The judges also questioned as to how anyone could console the victim’s parents who had lost their only child. Pointing out that a youngster was killed in a similar accident in Coimbatore in December 2017, Justice Sathyanarayanan questioned why the officials did not implement orders passed by the then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee against illegal flex boards.
“You allow the crime to be committed and then run after the criminals. Where were the officials doing when huge number of flex boards were erected (on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road in Pallikaranai) without permission? A precious life has been lost merely because of sheer irresponsibility of the bureaucrats,” Justice Seshasayee added.
Blaming the politicians for erecting a majority of the illegal flex boards across the State, the judge said, the party leaders should instruct their cadres not to indulge in such practices. “It must be the State’s resolve to prevent illegal flex boards. Will the Chief Minister issue a statement against flex boards?” the judge asked and passed over the hearing.
Later, in the post lunch session, they were informed that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin as well as the AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami had issued statements asking their party cadres not to erect flex boards in the future.
After recording the submission made in the court, the judges insisted that parties should also file affidavits to that effect. In the meantime, A.K. Viswanathan, Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police and Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash rushed to the court to give instructions to Advocate General (A-G) Vijay Narayan.
Making his submissions on instructions, the A-G told the court that the Chennai city police as well as the corporation have decided to collaborate to keep a check on illegal flex boards and that traffic policemen in the city would be given the responsibility of preventing and reporting erection of flex boards without any authorisation.
Justice Seshasayee asked the government to also ascertain ways and means to sensitise the general public and make them give up such practices.
‘How much more human blood do bureaucrats expect roads to be painted with’
14/09/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI
Appalled over the menace of illegal flex boards having claimed many lives and caused injuries to several others over the years, the Madras High Court on Friday asked how many more litres of human blood do the bureaucrats expect the roads to be painted with before they pull up their socks and begin taking stringent action against the ubiquitous illegality.
Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee came down heavily on the local body as well as police officials for having failed to implement in letter and spirit multiple orders passed by the court directing them to prevent erection of flex boards put up in public places without authorisation from officials concerned, including the traffic police.
Taking serious note of the death of 22-year-old R. Subasri at Pallikaranai here on Thursday, Justice Seshasayee asked: “Is this the value that the life of a citizen has in this country? Why are bureaucrats so insensitive?”
‘Bureaucratic apathy’
Impressing upon the need to think of the significant contribution that the youngster could have made in the development of the country had she not died due to the freak accident, the judge said: “There is zero respect for lives in this country. It’s sheer bureaucratic apathy. Sorry to say that we, or at least I, have lost faith in the government.”
The judges also questioned as to how anyone could console the victim’s parents who had lost their only child. Pointing out that a youngster was killed in a similar accident in Coimbatore in December 2017, Justice Sathyanarayanan questioned why the officials did not implement orders passed by the then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee against illegal flex boards.
“You allow the crime to be committed and then run after the criminals. Where were the officials doing when huge number of flex boards were erected (on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road in Pallikaranai) without permission? A precious life has been lost merely because of sheer irresponsibility of the bureaucrats,” Justice Seshasayee added.
Blaming the politicians for erecting a majority of the illegal flex boards across the State, the judge said, the party leaders should instruct their cadres not to indulge in such practices. “It must be the State’s resolve to prevent illegal flex boards. Will the Chief Minister issue a statement against flex boards?” the judge asked and passed over the hearing.
Later, in the post lunch session, they were informed that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin as well as the AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami had issued statements asking their party cadres not to erect flex boards in the future.
After recording the submission made in the court, the judges insisted that parties should also file affidavits to that effect. In the meantime, A.K. Viswanathan, Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police and Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash rushed to the court to give instructions to Advocate General (A-G) Vijay Narayan.
Making his submissions on instructions, the A-G told the court that the Chennai city police as well as the corporation have decided to collaborate to keep a check on illegal flex boards and that traffic policemen in the city would be given the responsibility of preventing and reporting erection of flex boards without any authorisation.
Justice Seshasayee asked the government to also ascertain ways and means to sensitise the general public and make them give up such practices.
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