Why six-laning of Delhi-Agra highway delayed, HC asks NHAI

Delhi High Court today sought an explanation from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the delay in completion of six-laning of the national highway connecting the national capital and Agra.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath sought reasons from NHAI for the delay in completing the project saying "ultimately it is causing inconvenience to the the people".
"You have to satisfy us that you have taken all necessary steps to complete the project in the stipulated time," the bench said and directed NHAI to submit the reasons for delay within four weeks.
The court was hearing a plea challenging collection of toll on NH-2 by the concessionaire, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, saying the fee cannot be collected while the highway was still being developed.

The court also issued notice to the Centre and NHAI and sought their replies on the PIL by R K Dhiman who has sought termination of the licence of the concessionaire to collect toll fee during the construction period.
When the court sought to know the reasons for the delay, the NHAI counsel said "it is a large project". He also said that as per its contract with the SPV, an alternate service road was provided during the period of development.

The bench, however, observed that usually the service roads were water-logged and traffic piled up there.
The court also made it clear that it was only on the question of why the project was being delayed.

The petition, filed through advocates Anil Kumar and Abhishek Bhardwaj, has contended that the concessionaire was "neither maintaining the existing four lanes nor constructed the six lanes for users of NH-2", causing chaos to the public.