Will consider out-of-court settlement with DGSCL: NHAI to HC

NHAI counsel Sudhir Nandrajog submitted to Justice S Muralidhar that the NHAI board has decided to hold a meeting on August 13 to consider the proposals to settle the issue between the parties.

The highway authority had told the court earlier that a meeting was held last month between the NHAI Committee and the concessionaire, Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL) and the issues between the two parties have been settled but internal approvals are required for formalising the settlement.

Justice Muralidhar granted time till August 30 to the NHAI and deferred the hearing till then.

The court earlier had directed NHAI to meet the developer to resolve the dispute and reach an amicable solution.

The court was hearing DGSCL's plea to restrain NHAI from taking any coercive action against it, including termination of the contract to operate the expressway.

The NHAI had alleged DGSCL of committing fraud in the form of re-financing the project without getting its approval.

The highway authority, while ordering termination of its deal with the private firm, had accused it of failing to improve services at the 32-lane toll plaza.

The DGSCL had approached the court after the NHAI had issued a preliminary notice to it on December 7 last year for cancelling the contract.

The high court had stayed the implementation of the NHAI notice.