The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to pay ₹20 crores to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to remove dangerous electric poles from the roads. The court has also asked the NMC to start removing electric poles only after getting the money.
The next hearing will be held on September 20. The court has asked the responsible officers of the NMC, MSEDCL, traffic police and other departments to remain present during the hearing.
The court has admitted a PIL taking suo motu cognizance. The matter was heard before the division bench of Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice Milind Jadhav. As per the information is given in the petition, there are 22 routes in the city where the dangerous poles and transformers are existing.
About 17 years ago, the roads of the city were widened under an integrated road development program after which some electric poles and transformers came in the middle of the roads. The NMC did not remove the poles then and now it has become dangerous for commuters and vehicle drivers.
The high court had disposed of a plea earlier on the same issue on November 21, 2005, asking the parties to remove the poles and transformers. But the order was not implemented. Earlier in the year 2001, the fund had been allocated to remove the poles and transformers but the fund was misappropriated and electric poles were not removed.
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