Chhattisgarh HC rebukes railways over incomplete FOB

27 Nov 2023 CW Team

The Chhattisgarh High Court has criticized the Railways for the incomplete foot overbridge near Bilaspur railway station, which has compelled schoolchildren to either climb the electrical engine or cross the tracks. Taking suo motu cognizance, the division bench of the High Court, consisting of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Judge Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, has issued a notice to the Union government, the railways, and other stakeholders, providing a 48-hour window to update the court on the situation.

Expressing concern during the hearing, Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha questioned, "This is the state of affairs, what is going on, Bhai? I mean, it seems like there's nothing here. What is your railway police doing?"

The division bench highlighted that the construction of the foot overbridge was proposed four years ago, but its completion remains uncertain. It pointed out that neither the Government Railway Police (GRP) nor the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has addressed the issue or prevented schoolchildren from crossing the railway tracks. The bench remarked that it appears all concerned authorities were neglectful, putting the lives of schoolchildren and the public in jeopardy.

Recognizing the seriousness of the incident, the court registered it as a Public Interest Litigation and presented it before the court through the Registry. Ramakant Mishra, deputy solicitor general, and Bhupendra Pandey, central government counsel, representing the respondents, were granted 48 hours to gather information and update the court. Chandresh Shrivastav, additional advocate general for the Chhattisgarh government, informed the court about the lack of action by the RPF stationed at Bilaspur railway station. The bench scheduled further hearing on November 24.

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