Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court on Tuesday expressed concern over lack of all-weather roads connecting remote villages in Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district and sought Maharashtra govt’s response within a week on a proposal estimated to cost nearly ₹900 crore for improving road connectivity.A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Rajnish Vyas was hearing proceedings arising from the plight of residents of Gotatola, where a severely damaged three-km road had previously prevented an ambulance from reaching the village. A pregnant woman had to be carried on a cot to reach medical care facility, prompting the court to take suo motu cognisance of the incident and initiate public interest proceedings. The matter will be heard again next week.PR Agrawal appeared as amicus curiae while Devendra Mahajan represented zilla parishad and additional govt pleader Sangeeta Jachak held brief for the state.The bench also sought an update on a proposal for about ₹900 crore submitted by zilla parishad to the state govt on Jan 30, 2026, for connectivity roads in the remote areas. The state has been directed to clarify its position on the proposal.Earlier, zilla parishad informed that a GSB — granular sub-base — road had been constructed up to Gotatola. The judges, however, questioned why the road had not subsequently been upgraded with a tarred surface.The court’s intervention comes against the backdrop of the difficult terrain and inadequate road connectivity faced by several villages in Gadchiroli, where access to healthcare and other essential services can depend heavily on the condition of rural roads.The bench also scrutinised photographs submitted by zilla parishad showing the GSB road at Gotatola. Since the photographs did not establish where exactly they had been taken, the court directed the authorities to produce geo-tagged photographs of the road during the next hearing.
