Chhattisgarh HC asks NHAI Chief to drive in small car to note public plight

The cost of the project has escalated to Rs 12.66 billion from Rs 9 billion following delay

The Chhattisgarh High Court has asked the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman to appear in person by travelling in a small car on Raipur-Bilaspur road that NHAI is constructing to note the plight of people.

“All the three officials have been strictly asked to travel in a small car from Raipur to Bilaspur (on the under construction road) so that they can understand the hardship faced by the people,” the order said.

The NHAI is constructing the 117-km National Highway between Chhattisgarh capital Raipur and Bilaspur, where the High Court is located. The project started in 2012 and was stipulated to be completed in May 2018. But some construction is still pending.

The work for the project has been awarded in three different tenders as first 48-km will be six-lane while remaining will be four-lane. Besides Dilip Buildcon, countries leading construction companies L&T and Punj Lloyd were awarded the work. The cost of the project has escalated to Rs 12.66 billion from Rs 9 billion following the delay.

Hearing on a writ petition filed in the Chhattisgarh High Court, the bench of Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi and Justice P P Sahu took serious note on the alleged callous attitude of the authorities and summoned the heads of NHAI and both the L&T and Punj Lloyd to appear in person in the next hearing on September 25.

The High Court had been monitoring the execution of the project since 2016 but the laxity continued.