HC directs TN highways dept to complete bridge, subway construction near Veppampattu railway station

The Madras High Court has directed the State Highways (SH) department to complete the construction of the Road over Bridge (RoB) and the underground subway near the Veppampattu railway station in Tiruvallur district on condition that there should not be any injunctions preventing the work.

The first division bench of Madras HC comprising the Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice PD Audikesavalu granted the injunction on disposing of public interest litigation moved by S Marimuthu, a railway employee and an activist from Ayanavaram.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to the Tiruvallur district Collector and State Highways to take appropriate action on his representation dated 14.07.2021 demanding the departments to complete acquisition and the road construction works for the RoB.

“While we are hearing the connected petitions, gave liberty to the petitioners therein to maintain a civil suit for declaration of title and injunction and thus, dismissed the writ petitions. Hence the stay order has come to an end. In view of the above, the government would now proceed further to complete the acquisition process and construction of the road, unless an injunction is granted by the court,” the judges said in the direction.

The petitioner said that the work for constructing the road over bridge and subway was started in 2010 and it is yet to be completed.

“A level crossing (LC14) that existed near the railway station was removed. As there is no ROB and subway, people who are landing at Veppampattu station are crossing four railway lines to reach their places. Due to this risky thing, often we are witnessing several fatal accidents. Though 75% of the works of this Rs.30 crore project were completed for the ROB and subway by the railways' department, the remaining works including the construction of connecting road have been kept pending by the state due to land acquisition issues,” the petitioner noted.