The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the National Highways Authority of India to provide separate lanes at toll plazas for VIPs, including sitting judges, all over the country, PTI reported. The court warned the authority of a show-cause notice if a circular was not issued.
“It is disheartening to note that the vehicles of VIPs and sitting judges are stopped at toll plazas,” the interim order by Justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and MV Muralidharan said. The bench was hearing a plea by L&T Krishnagiri-Wallajapet Tollway Limited, which sought direction to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Limited’s Villupuram and Salem divisions to pay the toll user fee.
“It is very unfortunate that sitting judges are also compelled to wait at toll plazas for 10 to 15 minutes and that this issue has not been taken seriously by the Union government and NHAI,” The Times of India quoted the bench as saying.
The court said that any violation of the authority’s order in its circular will be “viewed seriously”. It posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.
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