Imphal: In a ‘significant’ development emphasizing the importance of safe and accessible road infrastructure, the High Court of Manipur has registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) being No. PIL No. 20/2025 titled “Monitoring of Road Conditions in the State of Manipur” based on a suo motu cognizance initiated at the instance of the Registrar General, High Court of Manipur.
The move comes after Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA) submitted a detailed report highlighting hazardous road conditions, especially on routes leading to hospitals, courts, schools, and markets, said the legal services authority in a press release on Monday.
“The report was based on field assessments by all District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) following a July 15, 2025 directive, and included photographic and GPS-tagged evidence, testimonies from residents, and records of accidents linked to poor road maintenance.”
The PIL names the chief secretary, principal secretary (PWD), principal secretary / commissioner (Rural Development & Panchayati Raj), chief engineer (PWD), and chief engineer (Manipur State Rural Roads Development Agency) as respondents.
It argues that the state’s failure to maintain safe and motorable roads violates Article 21 of the Constitution and cites a recent Supreme Court ruling that recognises the right to safe roads as part of fundamental rights under Articles 19(1)(g) and 21.
With monsoon rains worsening conditions and increasing accident risks, the petition seeks urgent measures, including time-bound repairs of critical roads, creation of a monitoring committee or appointment of an amicus curiae, and a detailed state report on road inventories, tenders, budgets, and repair timelines, the legal services authority said.
“A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice K. Somasekhar and Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma has issued notices to the respondents through the Advocate General, returnable by September 8, 2025.”
The court has directed submission of a full list of authorities responsible for road repairs in both hill and valley districts so that all necessary parties may be impleaded in the case.
