The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued a strict 15-day deadline to the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) for the removal of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor on one side of the city. The order came on Monday during a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) that highlighted prolonged inaction despite a previous court directive.
Court's Stern Directive and Commissioner's Assurance
A bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi at the Indore bench of the High Court heard the PIL filed by the Rajlaxmi Foundation. The petitioner's counsel argued that no concrete steps were taken for nine months following a court order in February 2025 mandating the BRTS removal, leading to significant public inconvenience.
Both the Indore Collector and the IMC Commissioner appeared personally before the court. The commissioner assured the bench that the removal work on one side would be completed within the stipulated 15 days. He also informed the court that while contractors for the post-removal construction work are yet to be finalized, all efforts will be made to expedite the process.
Accountability Through Monitoring Committee
To ensure compliance and transparency, the court constituted a five-member monitoring committee of lawyers. This committee will be chaired by senior advocate Girish Patvardhan and includes advocates NS Bhati, Kaustubh Pathak, Ajay Raj Gupta, Pradyumna Kibe, and Jay Sharma. The panel is tasked with overseeing the progress and submitting a report by the next hearing date.
The state's counsel informed the court that an agency for the removal was finalized and a contract was signed on November 7, 2025, giving the contractor three months to complete the work. However, senior advocate Ajay Bagadia, representing the petitioner, drew a comparison with Bhopal, where BRTS corridors were removed promptly after similar court orders, questioning the delay in Indore.
Broader Civic Issues and Next Steps
The court's observations extended beyond the BRTS issue. It noted other arguments presented during the hearing, including problems like illegal religious structures on public land, sound pollution from loudspeakers exceeding limits, and hazardous traffic conditions due to insufficient police deployment at major intersections.
The bench has asked the petitioners' counsels to submit precise, categorized grievances before the next hearing to enable proper responses from the authorities. The case has been adjourned for 15 days, with the next hearing scheduled for December 16, 2025. The Indore Collector, IMC Commissioner, and DCP Traffic have been directed to be present in court with their responses to the pending applications.
