Delay in completion of work under judicial eye

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 5

The delay in the completion of the national highway from Kharar to Ludhiana has come under the judicial scanner. Acting on a civil writ petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Project Director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to remain present in the court before apprising the Bench of the reasons for the inordinate delay in the completion of the project.

The direction by the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh came on a petition filed by Verinder Singh and other petitioners against the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and other respondents.

As the case, filed way back in 2016, came up for resumed hearing, the state counsel prayed for additional time to seek instructions and address arguments before the Bench. He also apprised the court that national highway number V was being laid by the NHAI from Kharar to Ludhiana. As such, it would be necessary that the NHAI also assisted the court during the course of the hearing.

Fixing the case for February 19, the Bench directed the Project Director, NHAI, to remain present in the court on the next date of hearing along with the relevant record. “He shall also apprise the court of the reasons for the inordinate delay in the completion of the national highway.” the Bench asserted.

The directions have come at a time when the Mohali district administration has set a deadline of March 31 for the company carrying out the project and the NHAI to complete the project-related work on the Chandigarh-Kharar flyover.