38Construction on highway land

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, no person other than a Highway Administration or a person authorised by such Administration in this behalf shall construct, install, shift, repair, alter or carry any poles, pillars, advertisement towers, transformers, cable wire, pipe, drain, sewer, canal, railway line, tramway, telephone boxes, repeater station, street, path or passage of any kind on highway land or across, under or over any Highway except with the prior permission in writing of the Highway Administration for such purpose.

(2) Any person who intends to obtain the permission under sub-section (1) shall make an application in the prescribed form to the Highway Administration containing therein the purpose and period of occupancy of Highway, location and part of the Highway to be occupied, method of execution of work, period of construction and method of restoration of such part of the Highway.

(3) The Highway Administration shall consider the application made under sub-section (1) and if it is satisfied that there is no alternative other than the Highway in respect of which the permission is sought under the application where the land can be found to locate the public utility, it may give permission in writing as sought in the application:

Provided that while giving such permission, the Highway Administration may impose such conditions as it may deem fit to protect--

(i) the Highway from damage; and

(ii) the traffic on the Highway from obstruction,

and may also impose such fees and other charges as may be prescribed on the person to whom such permission is given in respect of any land forming part of the Highway, occupied or applied to the proposed work or construction under permission and also impose on such person the expenditure, if any, incurred by the Highway Administration for repairing any damage caused to the Highway by laying or shifting of any structure, article or equipment under the permission.

(4) If any person, in contravention of sub-section (1), makes any construction or carries out any other work, the Highway Administration may, at its own expenses, cause such construction or other work to be removed from the Highway and restore the Highway in the condition as it was immediately before giving permission for such construction or other work under sub-section (3) and such expenses together with fifteen per cent. thereof as additional charges and fine imposed by the Highway Administration taking into account the nature of the damages caused by such construction or other work, which shall not be less than five hundred rupees per square metre of land used for such construction or other work, but shall not exceed the cost of such land, shall be recovered from such person in accordance with the provisions contained in section 27 as if such expenses, additional charges and fine were the expenses, additional charges and fine recoverable under that section.