IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.17903 of 2009 1. ASHOK KUMAR, S/O RAMJIWAN BAITHA, 2. HARINARAYAN SINGH, S/O SHIROMAN SINGH, 3. SURESH PRASAD ROY, S/O DEV NARAYAN RAI, 4. MUNNA KUMAR SAH, S/O RAM EKBAL SAH, 5. ASHOK KUMAR SINGH, S/O LATE BHAGWATI CHARAN PRASAD SINGH. 6. ABDUL JABBAR, S/O MD. NAIM UDDIN, 7. SUNIL KUMAR, S/O SATYA NARAYAN RAI, 8. SURENDRA KUMAR, S/O KRISHNA PRASAD RAI. 9. ANIL KUMAR, S/O RAGHUNATH PRASAD SINGH. 10. RAJIV RANJAN, S/O SHYAM PRASAD. 11. RATAN KUMAR, S/O LATE JAGANNATH PRASAD. 12. DHARMENDRA PASWAN, S/O LATE KEDAR PASWAN. 13. PANDIT JAI PRAKASH PANDEY, S/O PANDIT BENI MADHAV PANDEY. 14. MANOJ KUMAR SINGH, S/O SURENDRA PRASAD SINGH. 15. SHARDA DEVI, WIFE OF LATE VISHWANATH SHARMA. 16. SATISH KUMAR, S/O TRIPURARI CHOUDHARY, ALL 1 TO 16 RESIDENTS OF VILLAGE DIGHI KALAN, POST AND P.S. HAJIPUR, DISTRICT-VAISHALI. 17. SHIV KUMAR, S/O LATE RAMAKANT RAI, R/O VILLAGE AND POST OFFICE-NAINHA, P.S. HAJIPUR, DISTRICT- VAISHALI. 18. SACHINDRA SINGH, S/O LATE SURYA NARAYAN SINGH 19. KUMAR MANISH, S/O LATE SITA RAM SHARMA. 20. ASHOK KUMAR SINGH, S/O LATE JAINARAYAN SINGH. 21. UMESH PRASAD SINGH, S/O LATE SARASTI CHARAN PRASAD SINGH. 22. RAJESHWAR PRASAD SINGH, S/O LATE JAINARAYAN SINGH. 23. HARI SANKAR SINGH, S/O LATE JAGDISH PRASAD SINGH. 24. SIYARAM SINGH, S/O LATE BIMAL PRASAD SINGH. 25. RANJAY KUMAR SINGH, S/O SRI RAM PRATI SINGH. 26. ARUN KUMAR SINGH, S/O LATE SATRUGHNA PRASAD SINGH. 27. CHANDESHWAR RAI, S/O LATE JULUM RAI. 28. MADHURI SINHA, DAUGHTER OF LATE KODAI SINGH. PETITIONER NOS. 18 TO 28 ARE 2 RESIDENT OF VILLAGE-DIGHI KALAN, P.O. AND P.S. HAJIPUR, DISTRICT- VAISHALI. -PETITIONERS Versus 1. THE UNION OF INDIA, THROUGH THE SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS, NEW DELHI. 2. THE SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS, NEW DELHI. 3. THE DEPUTY SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS, NEW DELHI. 4. THE DISTRICT LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, VAISHALI-CUM-COMPETENT AUTHORITY UNDER THE NATIONAL HIGHWAYS ACT. -RESPONDENTS _______ For the Petitioner : M/s S.P. Singh, M.P. Sinha, V.R.P. Sinha & Ratan Kumar Sinha For the State : M/s P.K. Shahi, AG, Raghib Ahsan, Assistant Solicitor General of India 2 18.12.2009 Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned Advocate General on behalf of the State. The petitioners have preferred this writ petition in public interest to suggest that the existing National Highway 77 going from Ramashish Chowk of Hajipur town to Muzaffarpur should not be widened into four lane rather a 3 proposed diversion from Paswan Chowk should be widened in place of N.H. 77. The suggestion aforesaid appears to be guided by convenience and inconvenience of the nearby residents of both the localities, one near the existing N.H. 77 and the other near the proposed diversion. However, we feel that the suggestion does not take into consideration the larger public interest and is guided by only local consideration. N.H. , i.e., National Highway should remain as straight as possible so as to maintain safe alignment and the N.H. in question is already existing at the site and the proposal is only to widen the same. In these circumstances, we are not persuaded to interfere in the matter in public interest. The writ petition is, therefore, dismissed. It is observed that the widening work should be expedited as early as possible in larger public interest. (Shiva Kirti Singh, ACJ.) (Shyam Kishore Sharma, J.) AAhmad