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Srinagar, Feb 17 (GNS): Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday said that “no effective progress” has been made as regards its directions passed last year for early completion of various projects on Jammu-Srinagar highway.
“Upon perusal of the pleadings on record, we feel that no effective progress is, in fact, made with regard to the aforesaid directions passed by this Court,” said a bench of Justices Ali Mohammad Magrey and Vinod Chatterji Koul.
The division bench asked the Senior Additional Advocate General B. A. Dar to update the status of the compliance of the directions passed by the Court on 10 February 2020 by the next date of hearing on April 6.
Regarding the directions passed by the Court regarding National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), , the court directed its Registry to send a copy of order to the ChairmanNHAI so as to ensure filing of updated compliance report as also appearance of counsel on behalf of the Authority on the next date of hearing.
On February 10 last year, the court had issued slew of directions and had among others directed the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of the Commissioners Secretaries to Government, Revenue Department; Power Development Department; and Forest Department and ascertain the difficulties, concerning the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, being faced by the National Highways Authority of India in the competition of the entire project from Udhampur to Ramban and Ramban to Banihal section.
“The Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Revenue Department, who shall be the Nodal Officer in the aforesaid process, shall place the compliance of this order before this Court by the next date of hearing,” the court had said.
In another direction, the court had directed the National Highways Authority of India, through its Chairman, to also update status report/ response by supplying all the details regarding pending cases before any wing of the High Court as well as the other subordinate Courts alongwith copies of all orders passed thereon from time to time restraining the Authority to proceed ahead in the matter.
“We also believe that the existing condition of the roads, stretching right from Udhampur to Chenani and Chenani to Banihal, is precariously shabby and that the concerned Contractors are not maintaining the said roads as per the required level,” the court had said, adding, “We hope and trust that all possible efforts are taken by the concerned authorities in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the National Highways Authority of India so as to redress this concern.”
The directions by the court had followed perusal of a status report by the Project Director, National Highways Authority of India. The officer, Purshotam Kumar, was remain present in person in compliance with the court’s order on December 11 last year.
Regarding four laning of Udhampur-Ramban Section, he had said work was allotted to M/S Gammon India Private Limited for an amount of Rs.1709.99 Crores. The scope of work includes eight major bridges, 59 minor bridges, 492 box culverts and two tunnels.
He had said there has been a delay in the execution of the work because of the orders passed by the High Court at Jammu. He said the additional land for Chanderkot Bypass is yet to be made available to the contractor as the land acquisition proceedings are under process. There are 69 structures in the row still existing, due to which the work could not be taken so for, he had said. (GNS)
