Ujjain: Accidents due to unplanned laying of sewer pipe lines across the city has raised questions on the functioning of the so called government servants and has raised the concerns of locals in Ujjain.
The city has witnessed series of protests against the complacency and corrupt practices of authorities, to no avail.
The most recent example of the callousness of the authorities is the death of a youth Akshat Sharma belonging to a family of reputed lawyers in a road accident due to improper levelling of drainage chamber lids. Lives of commuters are at risk as little has been done to avoid such accidents and damage to vehicles in future.
It is the duty of Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) to inspect and give necessary direction to sewerage line contractor and officials involved in the project. UMC has issued show cause notice to Tata Project Company and asked for its reply in seven days. But it seems that the legal recourse is the only remedy available to locals who commute on these roads.
Advocate Devashish Singh Rathore told Free Press, “Family members of victim or a third party can present an application under section 133 of Cr P C to district magistrate or SDO or any executive magistrate for obtaining a conditional order for removal of public nuisance.”
“FIR can be registered under Section 304 part-2 of IPC (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and claim for compensation against UMC and responsible company for this ongoing project, he added.
In addition to this Public Interest Litigation can also be filed by aware and active residents from public,” he asserted.
Another instance of callousness of the district administration is the sheer audacity with which Parsvnath City Township situated on Dewas Road has deprived its residents of basic facilities like electricity, roads, water among others.
The UMC has issued two completion certificates, giving permission for house construction and charging property tax. But despite representations at different levels by residents the UMC authorities seems to be in deep slumber.
Due to the apathetic attitude of the UMC the residents have filed a writ petition in February 2021 before the High Court of MP Indore Bench for ventilation of their grievances.
In another instance of corruption related to civic body the Lok Ayukta Police has booked four officials from UMC and a builder in a case pertaining to a property situated in Freeganj.
‘We are pursuing the issue quite seriously’
Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Kshitij Singhal claimed that the ongoing sewer line project will prove to be a big gift for Ujjain. “Not only the cleanliness arrangements would be streamlined to a great extent, but the issue related to purity of Kshipra river’s water will also be settled down,” said he. According to him, they have taken recent road accidents quite seriously and corrective measures are being initiated. He said that the Tata Projects Company was awarded the contract in 2016 and it was to complete it in three years, but as it has failed to finish the work the deadline has extended to mid-2022.
