HC raps civic bodies for passing buck on pothole death payout

The Bombay High Court on Monday criticised civic and state authorities for shifting responsibility over compensation payments in pothole and manhole related deaths, warning that if they failed to resolve jurisdictional disputes, the court would order all agencies concerned to share compensation equally.

- Urvi Mahajani

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh Patil observed that authorities routinely blamed one another instead of taking responsibility for crumbling roads. “We will direct you to pay 50-50% compensation. Then you all keep fighting amongst yourselves and then recover from the other (concerned authority),” the bench remarked.