The Hindu : New Delhi News : Home Secretary appears in Supreme Court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

Home Secretary appears in Supreme Court

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Home Secretary S. Malathi appeared in the Supreme Court on Monday in response to summons for the State’s “failure” to file response to a petition seeking directions to the Centre and States for improving road condition, infrastructure, traffic laws, medical facilities and making enforcement effective.

A Bench of Justice H.K. Sema and Justice Markandey Katju, before whom she appeared, dispensed with her presence in future. The Bench, after hearing senior counsel A.K. Ganguly for the State, took on record the counter affidavit filed by Tamil Nadu. Counsel Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, Common Cause, said that since pleadings had been completed the matter should be posted for final hearing. The Bench directed listing of the matter for further hearing in March.

The apex court on November 30, 2007 had summoned the Home Secretary after Prshant Bhushan submitted that Tamil Nadu had not filed its response to the petitioner’s suggestions. He had cited a recent newspaper report to show that Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents in 2005.

The petitioner said poor road condition in most parts of the country was the major cause of road accidents. It said that speed governors should be mandatory for commercial vehicles like trucks so that they could not drive beyond certain speed limit and it should be effectively enforced.

Speed breakers should be properly marked so that drivers could see them from distance and reduce the speed of vehicle; video recording of the crossing or any signal or any section of the road, which was accident-prone, should be done. In its response, the State government explained steps taken for preventing road accidents.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi