You want us to run entire country, asks Supreme Court; dismisses plea seeking sweeping directions

New Delhi: You want us to run the entire country, the Supreme Court on Friday said while dismissing a plea seeking "sweeping" directions to ensure public safety by maintaining roads, bridges and electric wiring, among others.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the petition was as good as a "shopping mall" in which all kinds of reliefs have been sought.

"It is nearly impossible to issue directions which will be completely unmanageable until and unless the issues raised are specific... we decline to entertain this writ petition leaving it open to the petitioner to approach the jurisdictional high court, if so advised, by way of an appropriately drafted petition," the bench said.


The top court made clear that it was not commenting on the merits of the matter.

"You are asking for sweeping directions," the CJI told the counsel appearing for the petitioner.

The bench said the directions sought in the plea would have financial implications, and the high courts are best suited to understand the finances of the states concerned.

The counsel said people were losing their lives across the country due to the negligence of authorities.

"You want us to run the entire country," the bench asked, while referring to the prayers made in the plea.

"Your petition is as good as a showroom or a shopping mall. Right from repairing potholes, roads, finish unfinished structures like bridges, everything is there. You name a relief on the earth and everything is there in this," the bench said.

The plea had sought a range of directions to the Centre and others to ensure public safety, including but not limited to maintenance, routine inspection and regular auditing of public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and electric wiring, among others.

It had also sought a direction to the authorities to constitute a high-level independent safety audit committee, comprising civil engineers, infrastructure experts, forensic investigators and representatives from civil society and human rights organisations, to conduct periodic safety and maintenance audits of public utilities and civic infrastructure across metropolitan and semi-urban regions.

The plea also sought a direction to the authorities to collect, digitise and publish all data regarding infrastructure-related fatalities from 2020 onwards and submit district-wise reports in the apex court in every quarter. PTI