Pune: The Bombay High Court has strongly criticized the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for its negligence in road maintenance, stating that proper roads are an essential part of a citizen's right to life. The court expressed disappointment that petitioners had to approach the judiciary again despite clear road maintenance procedures being in place.

A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Qaneez Sukhrani, convener of the Association of Nagar Road Citizen Forum, and Pushkar Kulkarni from the Pashan Area Sabha.

The petitioners highlighted that PMC and the state government had failed to ensure proper road maintenance and had also neglected to establish a time-bound grievance redressal system for citizens.

Court’s Key Directives:

• The Road Development and Road Maintenance Committee (RDRMC) and Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) must function regularly.

• Their recommendations must be implemented without delay.

• Monitoring of road maintenance must involve College of Engineering Pune (COEP) and Engineers India Limited (EIL) to ensure accountability.

Observations by the Court:

• Safe roads with proper footpaths, pothole-free surfaces, zebra crossings, and traffic signals are PMC’s legal responsibility.

• Road maintenance falls under Article 21 of the Constitution, ensuring the right to life.

• Poor maintenance results in preventable accidents and hazards.

• Courts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of road safety.

The court also noted that despite repeated complaints sent to the Municipal Commissioner and the Urban Development Department, no concrete action had been taken.