A few days after the Tamil Nadu government sought to bring highways under urban local bodies such as corporations and municipalities by issuing a circular, DMK has filed a petition against the move.

The Times of India reported that the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar agreed to hear the PIL on Tuesday. 

On Monday, senior lawyer P Wilson representing DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi, told the judges that it was illegal for the state to bring highways under the control of the local body administration as they did not have elected local bodies.

He questioned how the local bodies could reflect the will of the people when they are not elected by them.

The bench had first asked the counsel to appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the issue but later when the circular by the municipal administration commissioner was shown, they agreed to listen to the appeal.

Days after the judgement, the commissioner of the municipal administration department had brought out a November 11, 2016 report which states that the state can bring the state and national highways under the ambit of the urban local bodies. After this report was found, the government sent out circulars to the local body administration. 

On March 31, the apex court ruled that the national ban on sale of liquor within 500m of national and state highways will be upheld.

The judgment says that these establishments cannot function from April 1, 2017.

SC also said that the ban extends to not just liquor vending shops, but bars and pubs too.

In cities and large towns, these establishments cannot function if they are within 500 metres of a highway.