VADODARA, Dec 3: Judge V S Pinto of the City Civil Court has appointed two court commissioners to inspect city roads and submit a report about their condition and also issued a notice returnable on December 14 to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation.This follows a public interest litigation filed on Thursday by one Sudhir Biniwale and one Thakorbhai Shah seeking directions to the VMC to lay/repair roads within the Makarpura GIDC Industrial Estate and other parts of the city. They also demanded that the corporation be asked to specify the time-frame within which they would complete the work.Advocate Avdhut Sumant appeared on behalf of the Vadodara Kamdar Union, of which Shah is the general secretary.Two advocates - Kanubhai Rabari and Ashwini Otive - have been appointed commissioners for the court. Rabari will inspect the roads of the GIDC Industrial Estate, Makarpura Road, Kishanwadi and roads between Warasia and Kishanwadi, while Otive will inspect roads between Vadodara Railway Station and Sardarnagar and, Rajaram Mohan Roy Circle and Gotri. The reports will be submitted on December 14.The litigation follows Express Newsline reports highlighting the pathetic condition of the roads. The reports about the bad roads in the Estate were published in October 1997 and November 1998.In his order, the judge stated while preparing the reports, the commissioners would record the necessary statements, draw maps, take photographs etc. to present the true and correct picture of these roads. The commissioners have to inform the plantiffs and defendants the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and the municipal commissioner before inspecting the roads.It may be recalled that more than 10 km of roads in the Estate have not been carpeted for the last several years despite an understanding between the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and the Estate that the former would maintain roads and set up other infrastructural facilities. In return, the Estate had given more than 25 plots to the VMC. Thousands of workers working in large and medium-scale industries have been affected by the bad roads.As the VMC failed to provide a separate budget, the industrial units took out a massive rally in December 1997 to represent their various demands, including proper storm water drain and drainage facilities.Only after several representations did the Vododara Municipal Corporation had agreed to maintain the roads but only after raising money from the auction of plots given to it. The plots, however, are yet to be auctioned and the proposal is pending with the elected wing.
