IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN
WEDNESDAY, THE 27TH DAY OF JULY 2022 / 5TH SRAVANA, 1944
WP(C) NO. 22946 OF 2022
PETITIONER:
T L GEORGE,
AGED 58 YEARS
THOTTUMARICKAL HOUSE, VAZHAKULAM P.O.,
MUVATTUPUZHA - 686 670.
BY ADVS.
PHILIP J.VETTICKATTU
SAJITHA GEORGE
NEENU BERNATH
RESPONDENTS:
1 THE SECRETARY, MANJALLOOR GRAMA PANCHAYAT.
MANJALLUR, MUVATTUPUZHA.
2 THE MANJALLUR GRAMA PANCHAYAT,
MANJALLUR, MUVATTUPUZHA,
REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY.
BY ADV G.BHAGAVAT SINGH
THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR
ADMISSION ON 27.07.2022, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY
DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
W.P.(C).No.22946/2022
2
P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, J.
--------------------------------
W.P.(C).No.22946 of 2022
----------------------------------------------
Dated this the 27th day of July, 2022
JUDGMENT
This writ petition is filed with following prayers: i. Issue a writ of certiorari or any other appropriate writ, direction or order quashing Ext.P5. ii. Issue a writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ, direction or order directing the respondents not to interfere with the traffic/transport of vehicles to and from the quarry of the petitioner through Neelikkad - Vadakode Road.
iii. Issue a writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ, direction or order directing the respondents to permit the petitioner to carry out the maintenance work/repair of the road with immediate effect under the supervision of the Public Works Department.
iv. To grant such other reliefs as this Hon'ble Court may deem just and fit in the circumstances of the case.
(SIC)
2. It is the case of the petitioner that he is conducting W.P.(C).No.22946/2022 3 quarry in Ward No.5 of the respondent Panchayat with all necessary license/consents/clearance. The access to the petitioner to its quarry is through a public road namely Neelikad - Vadakode Road. According to the petitioner, he and his customers are using the said road for transportation of materials from and to the quarry. The petitioner is aggrieved by Ext.P5 order passed by the 1 st respondent, prohibiting the passage of loading vehicles through the said road. It is the case of the petitioner that, the Secretary or the Panchayat has no authority or jurisdiction to prohibit or regulate the traffic through a public road. Hence this writ petition.
3. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned counsel for the respondents.
4. The challenge in this writ petition is against Ext.P5 order. It will be better to extract the contents in Ext.P5:
"മേൽ സൂചന (1),(2) പ്രകാരം മഞ്ഞള്ളൂർ ഗ്രാമപഞ്ചായത്തിലെ 3,4 വാർഡുകളിലൂടെ കടന്നുപോകുന്ന നിലികാട് - വടകോട് റോഡിലൂടെ ഭാരവണ്ടികളുടെ ഗതാഗതം നിരോധിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ബോർഡ് സ്ഥാപിച്ചിട്ടുള്ളതാണ്. സൂചന (2) പ്രകാരം ടി റോഡ് ശോചനിയാവസ്ഥയിലാണെന്നും ടി റോഡിലുള്ള കലുങ്കുകൾക്ക് ബലക്ഷയം സംഭവിക്കാവുന്നതാണെന്നും റിപ്പോർട്ട് ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ട്.
W.P.(C).No.22946/2022 4 എന്നാൽ നിലവിൽ ടി റോഡിലൂടെ താങ്കളുടെ പാറമടയിൽ നിന്നുമുള്ള ഭാരവണ്ടികൾ സർവ്വീസ് നടത്തുന്നതായും ടി റോഡിൽ മക്കിട്ടിട്ടുള്ളതായും ശ്രദ്ധയിൽപ്പെട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്. ആയതിനാൽ സൂചന (3) പ്രകാരം ടി റോഡിൽ താങ്കൾ നിക്ഷേപിച്ചിട്ടുള്ള മക്ക് നിക്കം ചെയ്ത് റോഡ് പൂർവ്വസ്ഥിതിയിലാക്കേണ്ടതും താങ്കളുടെ പാറമടയിൽ നിന്നുമുള്ള ഭാരവണ്ടികൾ സർവ്വീസ് നടത്തുന്നത് നിർത്തിവെയ്ക്കേണ്ടതുമാണെന്ന് അറിയിക്കുന്നു."
5. A reading of Ext.P5 will not show the source of power of the Panchayat to issue such an order. The intention of the Panchayat may be genuine. But there is no source of power to the Panchayat to issue an order like Ext.P5. If there is such grievance, the Panchayat can approach the appropriate authority in accordance to law to redress the grievance. The Panchayat has no authority to issue orders to regulate the traffic through a public road.
6. Therefore Ext.P5 has to go with liberty to the Panchayat to approach the appropriate authority in accordance to law or to pass appropriate orders in accordance to law. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that he submitted Exts.P3 and P4 representations. Without expressing on the contents in the representations, there can W.P.(C).No.22946/2022 5 be a direction to the Panchayat to consider those representations also within a time frame.
Therefore, this writ petition is disposed of in the following manner:
1. Ext.P5 is set aside granting liberty to the Panchayat to pass appropriate orders in accordance to law.
2. The 2nd respondent is directed to consider and pass appropriate orders in Exts.P3 and P4 in accordance to law, after giving an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, as expeditiously as possible, at any rate, within one month from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.
sd/-
P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN
JV JUDGE
W.P.(C).No.22946/2022
6
APPENDIX OF WP(C) 22946/2022
PETITIONER EXHIBITS
Exhibit P1 TRUE COPY OF THE RELEVANT PAGES OF THE
QUARRYING LEASE DATED 23-03-2022.
Exhibit P2 TRUE COPY OF THE MOVEMENT PERMIT
ISSUED BY THE GEOLOGIST, ERNAKULAM
DATED 25-04-2022.
Exhibit P3 TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER SUBMITTED BY
THE PETITIONER TO THE PANCHAYATH
SECRETARY, MANJALOOR GRAMA PANCHAYAT, DATED 01-06-2022.
Exhibit P4 TRUE COPY OF THE REPRESENTATION DATED 10-06-2022 SUBMITTED BEFORE THE PANCAHYAT SECRETARY.
Exhibit P5 TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER DATED 13-07-
2022 ISSUED BY THE 1ST RESPONDENT.
Exhibit P6 THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THE REMOVAL OF MUCK FROM THE ROAD ON 15/7/2022 BY THE WORKMEN OF THE PETITIONER.