SHILLONG, MAR 28: The Meghalaya High Court on Tuesday directed the need to keep the ‘unwelcome interference’ by the NGOs at bay to ensure the smooth completion of the Shillong-Dawki road project.
Hearing a PIL on the matter, the division bench said, “Dr N Mozika, DSGI, K Khan, AAG, and K Paul, appearing for the petitioner, all leaders of the Bar here, should take a more proactive role and engage with NHIDCL and the State, both to keep unwelcome interference by NGOs at bay and to ensure the smooth and expeditious completion of the project.”
It also asked that lawyers may offer their services for mediation or conciliation so that the similar impediments that remain in land being handed over to NHIDCL for completing the project are taken care of.
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) had complained that both the delay on the part of the State to hand over land and the constant interference by NGOs with ulterior motives have scared the contractors away and new contractors are reluctant to bid for the two packages.
It had reported that work is proceeding on three of the packages but the contractor identified to undertake the first package, which includes the construction of the said flyover, has abandoned the site because of increased cost estimates.
It is almost the similar situation for package five as the contractor originally engaged has abandoned the work.
The Court said that the State would do well to request its representatives to liaise with NHIDCL to indicate timelines for the further construction, including the construction of the first package, which includes the flyover, and the final stretch into Dawki.
It also directed, “The State should extend all cooperation to NHIDCL as, at the end of the day, the benefit goes to the State and primarily the people living here. There is no doubt that the State and the NHIDCL can sit across the table to chalk out a plan so that the disruption of traffic is as little as possible during the construction of the flyover and other stretches of the Shillong-Dawki road.”
NHIDCL also referred to a latest affidavit filed by it today, wherein it has relied on a letter dated March 25, 2023 addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills. It is evident from the letter that several of the packages await the road clearance from the State.
The Court said it is possible that vested interests over small tracts of land may be holding the project to ransom and it is the State’s duty, in its own interest, to ensure that the larger public interest is subserved by its intervention so that the entire stretch of the road can be constructed without any further impediment.
It said that the completion of the project and the construction of the flyover may be a harbinger for enhanced development in the State.
The Court said since the State says that it is committed to the speedy completion of the project, the petitioner’s apprehension that trees have been felled for no ultimate purpose may not hold water.
The Court also directed the State machinery to provide adequate assistance to NHIDCL for the smooth and expeditious completion of the project.
The NHIDCL pointed out that in the order of December 16, 2022, this Court had called upon the State government to constitute a high-level committee to remove the bottlenecks in the handing over of land.
“If the relevant committee in terms of such order has not yet been set up, immediate steps should be taken so that the committee is constituted to consider the matters in greater detail with both the contractors and the NHIDCL officials,” the Court said while directing both the State and the NHIDCL to file status reports after six weeks.
By Our Reporter
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