Hyderabad: Dismissing a petition by TD MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, former MP V. Bala Shouri and three others against the alignment of the Chilakaluripet by-pass road and the widening of NH5 at Chilakaluripet, the Hyderabad HC held that laying a road and its alignment were the domain of experts and no one can question it.

CJ Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar dismissed the petition challenging the rejection of representations seeking a change in the alignment of the by-pass.Rayapati Sambasiva Rao and Bala Shouri moved the petition in 2009 when they were Congress MPs.

The petitioners  had represented to the Centre requesting it to lay the by-pass road starting from Thimmapuram located 4 km north of Chilakal-uripet and joining NH 5 near Tatapudi  Road, about 5 km to the south of Chilakaluripet.

They urged the Centre not to widen the NH5 passing through Thimmapuram, Ganapa-varam and Chilakaluripet into a six-lane road as it would affect the public.

They contended that the authorities cannot reject his application on grounds of contractual complications when it goes against public interests.

The bench pointed out that there was no law that every representation made should be considered by the authorities and the petitioners have not been able to state under which law the relief has to be granted.

Holding that laying a road or changing its alignment is the prerogative of experts the bench dismissed the petition. The court said that no one can question such a decision unless it is absolutely malafide.

Source: DC