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Slack pre-monsoon work, delays result in potholed roads
The Hindu
High Court pulls up Kochi Corporation, PWD for shoddy condition of roads
The Kerala High Court order on Thursday pulling up the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Kochi Corporation for the shoddy condition of most roads in the city comes in the wake of the two agencies failing to complete pre-monsoon maintenance / resurfacing work on arterial and side roads.
The agencies have also been under fire for the inordinate delay in restoring damaged roads / bridges and for not declogging drains before the onset of the monsoon. The worst maintained of arterial roads include Thammanam - Pullepady Road that the Corporation recently handed over to the PWD and Vyttila - Kunnara Park stretch of Vyttila-Pettah Road maintained by the PWD (Roads wing).
A senior Corporation official sought refuge in the excuse that there could be audit objection if the civic agency undertook repair of Thammanam - Pullepady Road.
On its part, the work to relay concrete paver blocks on Vyttila - Kunnara Park stretch that the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) trenched for pipelaying is encountering inordinate delay, it is learnt. The PWD attributed the delay to rainy weather and inability to carry out work during the day owing to heavy traffic on the narrow road.
The PWD (NH wing) has been drawing public ire for the shoddy condition of the Kundannur overbridge that links Kundannur and Thevara. The agency, which did little during the summer months to resurface the road, is now citing rains as an excuse for the plight of the 2-km-long bridge.
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“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
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The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
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The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”