The Orissa High Court has issued a notice to the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) commissioner in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the construction of a vending zone near Madhusudan Law University’s upcoming second campus in the Jobra area of Cuttack.
The PIL, filed by university council members including president Sravani Sahoo, raises concerns that the vending zone could obstruct campus accessibility and worsen traffic congestion in the area.
The petitioners argued that the vending zone, located along the northern boundary wall of the new campus, would block the proposed main entrance and disrupt vehicular flow on the adjacent service road. They stressed that this could severely affect access to key facilities like a 300-seat women’s hostel, classrooms for the integrated 5-year LLB course, and a gymnasium-auditorium.
They also pointed out that the university’s plans for landscaping and campus beautification could be undermined by the vending zone’s presence.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman refused to grant an interim stay on the construction but directed the CMC to submit its response by May 1, when the next hearing is scheduled. The court noted that a decision on maintaining the status quo would be considered after reviewing the municipal body’s reply.
Madhusudan Law University, which currently enrolls around 1,020 students in LLB and LLM programs at its College Square campus, is expanding with a second campus featuring new academic blocks, a guest house, and green landscaped areas aimed at enhancing the learning environment.
