HC directs state to restore tram tracks, file report with photos

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the state to restore tram tracks in the city while directing the police to complete the investigation to find out the “miscreants” who bituminised the tracks.

The state submitted a report at the bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya. It was submitted that a committee that was formed by the court to look into the matter has held a meeting. The state’s counsel submitted that state authorities have lodged a police complaint against bituminisation of tram tracks. The state said no government agency was directed to remove the tracks.

The court directed the state to restore the bituminised tracks and submit a report with photographs. “Police shall also complete the enquiry and identify the accused who did bituminisation,” the court observed while remarking that it is hard to believe that “miscreants would have done that on a busy public road under public gaze and authorities concerned were oblivious”. Report is to be filed within four weeks from the date.

Further the court said that in no other city in the country trams are being operated. Closing tram services is an easy task but the respondent being a welfare state should also bear in mind to preserve the cultural heritage of the city of Kolkata. When the government department has constituted a separate wing to preserve heritage buildings we fail to understand as to why such is not happening in case of trams in Kolkata, the court observed.

“There are other countries where trams are operated such as Switzerland and identically the trams there ply in the middle of the road which is cited by the Kolkata Police as one of the reasons for accidents here. This was reiterated by the AG (advocate general). Therefore, there should be a political will to preserve the cultural heritage and ethos of Kolkata,” court said.

The court also objected to an application which the state is intending to file for sending two trams to Vancouver city so they can ply there during the FIFA World Cup next year as requested by the Consul General of India. The court said upon the application being filed, it will be considered in accordance with law.