Road & Rail blockades

States affected by road and rail blockades may soon get some respite with solicitor general R F Nariman on Wednesday saying official forces would clear traffic in 24 hours. At a time when a bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya was analyzing the situation arising from fortnight-long rail blockades in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, advocate Prashant Bhushan told the court that Manipur faced a road blockade for 121 days which threw normal life out of gear and seriously damaged the land-locked state’s economy. Nariman, whose assistance was sought by the bench during the last hearing, said once intelligence reports or information received otherwise indicates possible road or rail blockade agitation, the home secretary concerned must take immediate steps to clear traffic within 12 hours. “If the said blockade is not removed within 12 hours for any reason, whatsoever, then under such circumstances, the home secretary of the state shall immediately request the Union home secretary to direct central forces or any other paramilitary force available at the command of the Centre to initiate desired preventive steps immediately to maintain or restore public order within 24 hours,” Nariman said. “The home secretary of the state shall personally supervise the situation under the direct supervision and control of the home secretary to the government of India,” he added. Nariman further said the district magistrate concerned should assess the damage caused to public and private property by the agitators and “undertake appropriate legal proceedings to recover the quantified loss in a manner as if the same were arrears of the land revenue against the delinquent individually”.