HC rebukes AMC on poor graveyard approach road

Ahmedabad: Gujarat high court came down heavily on Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for not construct ing proper approach road to a graveyard in Vatva.

“You have money to spend on Kankaria Carnival but don’t have money for an approach road to the graveyard?” the Gujarat high court asked AMC on Wednesday when a PIL was filed complaining about the civic body’s callousness in the matter.

Acting on a PIL filed by All India Christian Council, a division bench headed by the chief justice has given one month’s ultimatum to AMC for construction of the road. The court pulled up the civic body for spending money on festivities, but not on providing basic necessities to public.

The court noted that despite an order passed earlier, the corporation failed to furnish satisfactory explanation or take action in this connection.

AMC’s counsel submitted that the government was yet to finalize the town planning scheme, and the civic body would be able to construct roads only after that.

On this, the court suggested that AMC may file a writ seeking the direction to the state to finalise the TP scheme. But, non-finalising a scheme should not come in the way of providing basic facilities for the people.