The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Defence Ministry’s request to allow widening of the Chardham highway to meet national security interests, keeping in mind the rising tensions along the Line of Actual Control with China. It also formed an oversight committee to report to the Court directly.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath allowed the application filed by the Defence Ministry seeking modification of the September 8, 2020 order of the apex court which had asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to stick to its 2018 circular on the width of roads in hilly terrain in the execution of the Chardham road project. The 2018 guidelines prescribe a 5.5-metre wide tarred road for the highways. Read More…
