STELCO resubmits case against road work fees

STELCO on Wednesday resubmitted a petition seeking quashing of the policy issued by the Male City Council to levy fees for works that require road tilling. 

STELCO had filed a constitutional case against the Male City Council with the High Court. However, High Court Registrar Mariyam Hurshida rejected the case saying that the legal reasons for filing the complaint was not included with the application form.

Announcing that the case has been re-filed in the High Court, STELCO's lawyer Mohamed Haleem said on Twitter on Wednesday that the case has been re-filed on the basis of the directions given by the High Court.

In its plea to the High Court, STELCO said that the council's practices were in violation of the Decentralisation Act and the provisions of the constitution that empower councils. The two regulations are:

Apart from STELCO, other cable-based service providers have raised concerns over the hike in road work fee. The council, however, maintained that the rates were not high and that the rates were hiked as the council had to spend more on repairing the roads. 

STELCO has also raised concerns over non-payment of electricity bills by the council and denial of land to install transformers.