Rs 50K fine for bid to derail flyover plan
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The Kerala High Court on Wednesday heavily criticised the misuse of Public Interest Litigation procedure after finding that a resident of Thiruvananthapuram had wasted the court’s time by filing various petitions against the construction of a flyover in Thiruvananthapuram City.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A.M. Shaffique slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on A. Subair and told him to pay the fine amount to Kerala State Legal Services Authority as costs within two months.
The intention of the petitioner, the bench observed, was either to gain popularity or to act on the behest of those who were opposed to the flyover.
The court observed that the petitioner had repeatedly filed several petitions, not being satisfied with an earlier high court order. It was obvious, they said, that his main objective was to stall the construction of the flyover.
The court made it clear that the flyover would ease the heavy traffic congestion in Thiruvananthapuram city.
“Eastfort, Thampanoor, Pazhavangad and the over bridge area is congested with traffic where the railway station, bus stand, Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple and other commercial institutions are situated,” the court observed.
The petitioner’s prime contention was that the construction was “unscientific” and dangerous to archeological monuments in the city.
However, the Archeological Survey Department submitted that construction of a flyover from Power House road to Thakaraparambil was not harmful to the forts and monuments. The department had taken all efforts to protect fort walls, it said.
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