HC notice to Admn, MC over maintenance of footpaths

Chandigarh, November 12

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh on a petition filed in public interest for maintenance of encroachment-free pedestrian paths and removal of dead trees along the roads.

Taking up the petition filed by advocate Hari Chand Arora, the Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli also called for a status report from the Administration and the corporation within three weeks.

Appearing in person before the Bench, Arora said he suffered severe injuries on his nose on August 18 after he stumbled over a bump on a footpath outside a park in Sector 44-D during an evening walk.

Arora submitted an inspection of several footpaths in Sectors 44, 45 and 27 revealed that most of them were in “very bad shape” and senior citizens could not enjoy a risk-free evening walk. 

Arora added that two letters were shot off to the municipal authorities and the UT Administration, along with 13 photographs of footpaths requiring repairs or having encroachments. But the authorities did not take worthwhile steps to repair or maintain the footpaths. —TNS