SC stays HC order asking NHAI to take over highway project

The Supreme Court today stayed a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had asked the NHAI to take over the 291 Km Panipat-Jalandhar highway project from the project concessionaire Soma Isolux NH One Tollway Private Limited as it failed to complete the project by 2012.
A bench of justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Madan B Lokur also issued notices to the Centre, Haryana and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on the plea of the project concessionaire and fixed the matter for hearing on July 23.
Soma Isolux NH One Tollway Private Limited had given an undertaking to the High Court that it would complete the project by 2012.

However, the High Court later asked the NHAI to take over the work from the project concessionaire as it remained incomplete.
The apex court, meanwhile, asked the NHAI to consult the Centre as to whether the toll plazas can be shifted to places as desired by the project concessionaire which is alleging massive loss on the ground that most of the commuters avoid the existing toll plazas.