High Court rejects STELCO’s case over road digging fee

The High Court on Tuesday rejected a constitutional case lodged by the State Electric Company (STELCO), seeking to repeal the regulations on road works in Male’ introduced by the city council.

The High Court said that the constitutional cases under the court’s purview, except for those accepted by the law and courts, are those involving allegations of conflict of laws and regulations or a part of a regulation formed under a law.

The court’s registrar decided STELCO failed to explain the reason why the regulations formed by the city council conflict with the law.

The registrar decided that STELCO failed properly explain how the two regulations the company based their case on – the regulation on road works with and without closure of roads, and the regulation on works carried out by digging up roads or opening junction covers – were in violation of the law.

The court decided it is therefore unable to accept the case.

In a press conference last week, STELCO’s managing director Ahmed Shareef alleged the two regulations were redundant. He said that the regulations were introduced without discussion with the Local Government Authority (LGA).