HC rebukes Collectors in Vidarbha for ignoring orders on nylon ‘manja’

 

 

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has strongly reprimanded District Collectors in Vidarbha for failing to follow its orders related to the ban on nylon ‘manja’, which is considered deadly and causes serious accidents every year. The High Court had earlier ordered a fine of Rs 50,000 on anyone found using nylon kite string and Rs 2.5 lakh on those selling it. The court had also directed all District Collectors in Vidarbha to publish a public notice about these penalties on the front page of leading Marathi, Hindi and English newspapers. However, except for the Nagpur District Collector, none of the other collectors complied with the order.

 

Taking serious note of this non-compliance, the High Court on Monday severely rebuked the concerned Collectors and directed them to immediately follow its instructions. The court reiterated that the fine of Rs 50,000 for users and Rs 2.5 lakh for sellers of nylon kite string will remain in force. It also clarified that anyone wishing to raise objections to these fine must do so before the next hearing on Jan 8. To ensure that the public is properly informed, the court ordered all District Collectors in Vidarbha, including Nagpur, to publish the required public notices in leading newspapers on Tuesday, January 7. These directions were issued during the hearing before Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Raj Wakode. The court noted that despite repeated orders since 2021, the sale and use of nylon ‘manja’ continues openly every year. The High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) as it observed that the administration had failed to take effective action. 

 

The court also warned that Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) and Superintendents of Police (SP) in Vidarbha will be held personally responsible if nylon ‘manja’ is found in their jurisdiction or if any accident occurs. If no objections are raised, the court said it will be free to take strict action.