Maharashtra orders ban on illegal highway dhabas, sets 60-day demolition deadline
The Maharashtra government has issued road safety directions to all local authorities, ordering an immediate ban on dhabas, eateries and other commercial structures built illegally
The Maharashtra government has issued road safety directions to all local authorities, ordering an immediate ban on dhabas, eateries and other commercial structures built illegally within the Right of Way along all national highways in the state. As part of the order, district magistrates have been asked to ensure that new and existing illegal roadside structures within highway safety zones are demolished within 60 days. Read Full Story They have also been told to set up task forces for regular checks, while no department, authority or local body can grant or renew any licence, no-objection certificate or trade approval for such sites without prior clearance from the Highways Authority of India or the Public Works Department.
The order, issued by the rural development department, is aimed at keeping land reserved for national highways free of roadside commercial structures that may obstruct traffic, create safety risks or interfere with highway operations. It also referred to the Supreme Court’s April 13 directive asking district councils, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats in Maharashtra to implement its directions strictly. The government has said that existing licences for such sites must be reviewed within 30 days. It has also directed collectors in every district with a national highway to form a highway safety task force comprising officials from the district administration, police, the NHAI or the concerned land-owning agency, the PWD and local bodies.
According to the order, district collectors and police commissioners or superintendents will share responsibility for the timely removal of encroachments. The task force will have to hold review meetings every fortnight and maintain minutes of those meetings. For roads under district councils and other district roads, the government referred to its February 21, 2024 circular on accident-prone stretches and asked the concerned authorities to implement those measures and send periodic action-taken reports to the Rural Development Department. In effect, the order lays down a statewide mechanism to remove illegal roadside structures along national highways, tighten approvals within highway safety zones and monitor compliance through district-level task forces and regular reviews.
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