The undertaking on traffic and participation of schools teachers and students was given by two top officials of the state to a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Sudhir Singh.
The court had yesterday called for personal presence of the two today to clarify position on traffic and teachers/students participation in the human chain on January 21 across Bihar.
The counsel for the petitioner, Shahibhusan Kumar, quoting a newspaper had also stated that block education officer of Sasaram has passed a coercive order that students not participating in the human chain programme would be deprived of benefits provided by the state government. Today some more examples were cited like programme to stop traffic in Bhagalpur from tonight itself.
On this Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore said that these matters would be looked into and suitable action would be taken in case of any wrongdoing.
More From This Section
On traffic for the day, CS and state police chief assured the court that it would be properly regulated as alternative routes have been created along National Highways and State Highways and other roads through which people would stand holding each others hand for 45 minutes from 12:15 PM to 1 PM.
Where alternative route is not available, one lane has been kept open for traffic, they told the court.
They further said that emergency services have been allowed to run without any hindrance and said advocates, litigants and staff of courts have been included in the exemption list along with ambulances, water tankers, civil and police officials, judiciary among others.
On participation of students, the Chief Secretary said its purely voluntary and no "direct or indirect" coercive action would be taken against any school teacher/student for absenting from the event.
The matter would be heard next on January 28.