Plea to stop overloaded trucks: HC seeks FCI, Delhi govt reply

A plea seeking directions to stop plying of "overloaded" trucks, registered outside Delhi, from supplying food grains to the PDS shops here, led the Delhi High Court today to seek responses of Food Corporation of India and the Delhi government.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal issued notices to the FCI and Delhi transport department and asked them to file their responses on the plea within four weeks.
The court has posted the matter for further hearing on April 19.
The petition has alleged that plying of trucks, trolleys and goods carriers, bearing registration numbers of other states, were causing problems of rash driving, pollution and accidents in the national capital leading to sufferings for the people here.

It claimed that there were six FCI godowns in Delhi and foodgrains were being supplied to the PDS centres and shops here by such trucks and goods carriers.
"Trucks bearing out of Delhi registration number are being used in this work of transportation of goods/grains from one place to another place in Delhi which itself is patently in violation of rule 90(7) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rule 1989 because as per this rule, the vehicle shall not pick up or set down goods between two points situated in the same state...," petitioner Chandra Prakash Pandey alleged in his plea.

The plea also claimed that the transport department has failed to check the overloading of such trucks in Delhi.
"Direct the respondents (FCI and transport department) to stop plying of overloaded trucks/trolleys/goods carriers in Delhi," the plea said, adding, "direct FCI to provide food grains to trucks as per their laden weight as permitted by respondent number two (transport department)".