New Delhi, March 13 The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would not entertain a plea seeking "sweeping" directions to ensure public safety by maintaining roads, bridges, and electric wiring, among other things, as the petitioners were asking the court to run the entire country.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the petition was essentially asking the court to act as a "shopping mall," where all kinds of reliefs were sought.
"It is nearly impossible to issue directions that would be completely unmanageable unless the issues raised are specific... we decline to entertain this writ petition, leaving it open to the petitioner to approach the jurisdictional high court, if so advised, by way of an appropriately drafted petition," the bench said.
The top court made it clear that it was not commenting on the merits of the matter.
"You are asking for sweeping directions," the CJI told the counsel appearing for the petitioner.
The bench said that the directions sought in the plea would have financial implications, and the high courts are best suited to understand the finances of the concerned states.
The counsel said that people were losing their lives across the country due to the negligence of authorities.
"You want us to run the entire country," the bench asked, while referring to the prayers made in the plea.
"Your petition is essentially asking us to act like a showroom or a shopping mall. Everything, from repairing potholes and roads to finishing unfinished structures like bridges, is included. You name a relief, and everything is available here," the bench said.
The plea had sought a range of directions to the Centre and others to ensure public safety, including but not limited to the maintenance, routine inspection, and regular auditing of public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and electric wiring, among others.
It had also sought a direction to the authorities to constitute a high-level independent safety audit committee, comprising civil engineers, infrastructure experts, forensic investigators, and representatives from civil society and human rights organisations, to conduct periodic safety and maintenance audits of public utilities and civic infrastructure across metropolitan and semi-urban regions.
The plea had also sought a direction to the authorities to collect, digitise, and publish all data regarding infrastructure-related fatalities from 2020 onwards and submit district-wise reports in the apex court in every quarter.