Supreme Court Summons Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Over Highway Safety Non-Compliance
The Supreme Court of India has requested the presence of the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary after the state failed to submit a compliance affidavit regarding highway safety measures. This decision was made during a session on Thursday, where a Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta highlighted the absence of representation from Tamil Nadu and the state’s failure to comply with the directive issued on April 13, 2023.
The Bench directed, “So far as the State of Tamil Nadu is concerned, no one is present on behalf of the said state. We direct the Chief Secretary of the State of Tamil Nadu to appear through video conferencing on the next date.” The court further clarified that Tamil Nadu could still submit the overdue compliance affidavit along with an explanation for the delay prior to the next hearing.
This issue arises amid a broader case initiated suo motu by the Supreme Court following two tragic highway accidents in November 2025 in Rajasthan’s Phalodi and Telangana’s Rangareddy, which resulted in 34 fatalities. In April, the Court issued comprehensive directions aimed at enhancing highway safety, including measures such as the removal of encroachments, increased highway patrolling, identification of high-risk accident zones, and the establishment of emergency response infrastructure.
During the hearing, Amicus Curiae Senior Advocate Atmaram Nadkarni informed the Court that all states, except for Tamil Nadu, had filed their compliance affidavits in response to the Court’s directives. He noted that some regions, particularly Lakshadweep and certain hill states, face geographic challenges that make full implementation difficult, such as the construction of service lanes. “We can leave it to the highway authorities. If it’s workable, they’ll do it; otherwise, they may not,” the Court remarked.
Nadkarni also raised concerns about illegal nighttime parking on highways, emphasizing the need for measures like RFID tags to mitigate the issue. He noted that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has accepted many of the proposed suggestions. The NHAI representative confirmed that the organization had submitted a comprehensive affidavit detailing compliance efforts, including the formation of patrolling teams and issuing a policy circular for the regular monitoring of highway stretches.
Furthermore, Nadkarni pointed out that despite directives to identify accident blackspots, most states and the NHAI have yet to respond. The Court instructed the NHAI to provide the required information to the Amicus Curiae within a two-week timeframe. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on October 6.
