Stray cattle menace: UT authorities face contempt notice

Having failed to come up with a viable solution to check the stray cattle menace, UT authorities, including of the municipal corporation and police, now face a contempt case and would have to explain their failure to control the problem.

Civil judge TPS Randhawa on Thursday granted time to the UT deputy commissioner, municipal commissioner, mayor, superintendent of police (traffic), additional commissioner-II of the MC and MC superintending engineer (roads), to show cause why action should be not taken against them for their failure to ensure the safety of commuters from the stray cattle menace. The UT officials will now have to appear before the court on July 8.

The representatives of UT authorities appeared before the court on Thursday and sought time to file details about steps taken by them. The petitioner, advocate Pankaj Chandgothia, had earlier filed an application in his public interest litigation (PIL), alleging that authorities had failed to comply with orders issued on September 21, 2012. On this, the court had passed interim orders, directing authorities to take stringent measures to deal with the menace of stray cattle and beggary.

Chandgothia contended that the public was entitled to obstruction-free roads and removal of all impediments thereon such as beggars, roadside vendors, stray cattle and illegal hoardings. "Failure of the municipal corporation and the administration to ensure safe roads amounts to public nuisance. The life and property of citizens is risked due to the inaction of authorities," Chandgothia said.

He had filed the contempt petition following the death of a motorcyclist, Harpreet Singh, on the night of April 6, when he fell down after colliding with a stray cattle and died on the spot. His widow has filed a complaint with the Sector 34 police station, alleging that he mayor and municipal commissioner's negligence had caused Harpreet's death.

Chandgothia said the contempt petition was filed against MC officials, DC office and traffic police because this incident had proved that the authorities had failed to comply with court orders of the court. Chandgothia has also sought directions to frame a policy to compensate victims of road accidents who die due to dereliction of duty and negligence of officials.