High Court takes up 5 PILs in One Day

NORTH SIKKIM’S CONNECTIVITY WOES AND GANGTOK’S TATKAL BOOKING BOTTLENECK ATTRACT COURT’S ATTENTION

VISHNU NEOPANEY
GANGTOK, 02 Dec: The High Court of Sikkim admitted five Public Interest Litigations, one of which it took up suo moto based on a NOW! report, on 29 November. North Sikkim’s connectivity woes dominate this set of 5 PILs, four of which relate to the district’s continuing problems with road, telecom and banking services. The fifth PIL is with regard to the Tatkal railway booking counter at SNT bus-stand here and the poor internet service there which is compromising the requirements of railway travelers.
Chief Justice Permod Kohli, it is informed, was on a North Sikkim visit up to Gurudongmar lake in the third week November. While he was in the district, the people of North Sikkim had submitted four different representations to him, seeking the High Court’s intervention on issues highlighted by them and seekiung directions to the concerned agencies to get their acts together and deliver better services to the people. The High Court has also taken up all these representations as Public Interest Litigations and has now sought replies from the concerned authorities.
The Pipons and public of Lachung, in their representation, have accused GREF and BSNL of neglecting the road and telecom requirements of the people. Highlighting that roads under the jurisdiction of GREF were the only links to the outside world for them, the people of Lachung complain that these roads remain neglected, under-developed and in disrepair. This, they add, does not only inconvenience them but also compromises national security since they are the lifelines for the army personnel stationed in the border regions as well.
BSNL, the telecom service provider for these remote areas, is also similarly charged of neglect.
On examination of grievances about the miserable road conditions and BSNL service in the remote area in their complaint, the High Court in its order observed that the same has been treated as a PIL in larger public interest of the area and directed the two agencies to file detailed responses within eight weeks.
In their second complaint, the people of Lachung as represented by the “Committee, Army Occupied Land Dispute Lachung, North Sikkim”, have sought immediate intervention of the High Court to resolve the Army occupied land issue which has remained in limbo since 1976.
The affected people, their petition endorsed by the Pipon, have sought the High Court’s intervention for an immediate resolution, contending that the district Administration, Land Revenue Department and the Defence State Officer [Siliguri] have not shown any earnestness thus far to expedite the matter. The people are seeking a onetime compensation and if that was not possible, have sought the Court’s directions to the Army to vacate the occupied land in Lachung.
The third complaint of the people of Lachung is against the Energy & Power Department, which, they inform has remained unable to provide regular and dependable power supply to the people under Lachung Dzumsa ever since the 18 September 2011 earthquake. Power supply remains erratic, they complain, going off every evening and through most of the day and available only after 9-10 PM in the night. This complaint also reiterates that electricity, roads, medical facilities and telecom network remain poorly delivered to them.
Similarly, the people of Chungthang also petitioned the Chief Justice seeking his intervention seeking directions to improve banking services of State Bank of India branch there. The complaint letter adds that the bank has remained unable to provide service due to extremely poor BSNL telecom services in the area.
“The bank is unable to make alternative arrangements and BSNL is very careless in the remote border area to provide Link and network to the bank for proper functioning. Even the network is very poor and no internet continuously at all since past 14 months. The people of Chungthang area are facing difficulty to send money to their children studying other parts of State and outside state and even the petty contractors are having difficulty in cashing their cheques,” the complaint letter details.
They further petition that the Rim Treatment to be done by Teesta Urja Limited for Teesta hydel project Stage V has been on a standstill for the past three years and that the company is taking no action in this matter. The residents highlight that stoppage of Rim Treatment poses further danger of landslides in and around Chungthang and consequent threat of life and property of people living there.
The public of Chungthang have also petitioned against Airtel, stating that Airtel installed a mobile tower in Chungthang one and half year back but has not been able to provide mobile connectivity and services in the area thus far. Since the huge non-functional tower is in the heart of the Chungthang Bazaar and also posing a hazard to the life and property of the surrounding villagers, the people have sought the High Court’s intervention to either provide immediate connectivity or dismantling of the said tower.
The PIL on the Tatkal railway booking counter in Gangtok has been taken up by the High Court based on a news-report headlined, “BSNL lethargy delinks Gangtok from Tatkal bookings too often”, published in NOW! on 26 November 2012.
The High Court, in its order on 29 November while issuing notices to the State Government, the General Manager, BSNL, Gangtok, General Manager, Northern Frontier Railway, Katihar Division and Secretary, Sikkim National Transport Department, observed, “While going through a news item published in local newspaper ‘Now’ in its issue of 26 November, 2012, regarding the non-availability of BSNL signal during the period of Tatkal bookings offer made by the railways, we find that there seems to be deliberate mischief on behalf of BSNL functionaries to keep the signal off during the period of Tatkal bookings are to be made by the people. The matter is of serious nature and explanation is required from the authorities including the Railways as well as BSNL.”
The High Court has directed respondents in all five PILs to file their replies within eight weeks.