Supreme Court declares right to walk on footpath a fundamental right

The Supreme Court on Friday batted for a regulatory body to effectuate the fundamental right to walk on demarcated footpaths. A bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar said a citizen was entitled to enforce restitutionary remedy in case of violation of his right to walk. 

“To enhance and effectuate the fundamental right to walk on demarcated footpaths, it is necessary to establish a regulatory body. Working with perpetual seal and



succession, such a regulator will develop and retain institutional memory so that it can act on the basis of the experience, data and information it has gathered and processed,” the bench emphasised.

The bench said insofar as the right to walk on demarcated footpaths is concerned, though it is integral to Articles 21 and 19(1)(d) of the Constitution, there is no express legislation for execution of this right and a statutory framework was required.