Team Herald
PANJIM: In a major embarrassment for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), its general secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar withdrew his name as petitioner in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa on the pothole menace in the State.
Padgaonkar had moved the High Court seeking its intervention into the matter as pothole-ridden roads have been causing inconvenience to the commuters. When the PIL came up for further hearing on Wednesday, Advocate General Devidas Pangam contended that petitioner has used this PIL to gain political mileage.
The division bench, taking serious notice of the submission, asked the petitioner whether he wants to “respectfully withdraw as petitioner,” which was agreed to by the AAP leader.
Considering the importance of the subject, the High Court has converted the petition as suo-motu.
In continuation to court’s directions to the government on Tuesday to submit action plan within two days on the proposed measures to tackle the potholes, the government assured to resurface and hot-mix the roads by November 30. The authorities concerned have been directed to file status report on December 16 when the matter will be heard next.
The government had earlier set a deadline to fix the potholes before Ganesh Chaturthi but blamed incessant rainfall for the incomplete task. It thereafter launched a WhatsApp number asking the people to upload photographs or videos of the potholes assuring that Public Works Department engineers will try to repair these roads.
While the patchwork of the roads has begun, the government has come under severe criticism particularly from its opponents on the poor state of roads.
