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Synopsis

The Allahabad High Court has directed the State Government to file a reply by May 21, 2024 in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed for the relocation of the bus stand situated near the high court building in Lucknow. The plea proposed relocation of the bus stand to a well-connected area on the outskirts of the city to alleviate vehicular congestion around the high court premises. 

The plea alleged that the substantial vehicular traffic surrounding the high court premises is causing significant public inconvenience and contributing to heightened pollution levels in the vicinity.

On November 20, 2023, the high court was informed that the Traffic Police of the Government of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) had proposed for relocating the bus stand and for that, the Police Commissioner of Lucknow had forwarded a proposal to the State Government on June 24, 2023.

The high court had then asked the state government to consider and take a decision expeditiously on the matter. However, no affidavit has been filed yet. 

Therefore, on May 3, 2024, the division bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Om Prakash Shukla ordered the State counsel to seek instructions or file affidavit in terms of order dated November 20, 2023 positively before May 21, 2024.

"We expect the concerned Authorities of the State Government and the District Administration to put their heads together and find out solutions to the problems noticed by us in our earlier orders and come back with some effective remedial measures, as, these proceedings have remained pending for quite sometime without any effective solution having been found," the bench said. 

The PIL, initiated by the Oudh Bar Association High Court Lucknow Bench in 2017, also highlighted the problem of traffic congestion at the Polytechnic crossing. There was a suggestion for the construction of an elevated flyover from Indira Canal to Polytechnic for which a proposal by the National Highway Authority was sent to the Public Works Department in 2015. However, the court was apprised that by July 5, 2017, no advancements were made in the matter.

On this issue as well, the high court on May 3, ordered the State counsel to obtain instructions from the Public Works Department.

The matter will be next heard on May 21, 2024. 

Case Title: Oudh Bar Association High Court Lucknow Bench v. Superintendent Of Police Traffic Lucknow