Advertisement
The Gulf conflict has disrupted global supply chains, pushed...
REITs have changed the way commercial real estate is owned a...
What does it take to preserve a real estate legacy while bui...
What really powers the cloud? Behind every Google search, A...
A lot of what defines a home isn’t visible at handover. I...
The Allahabad High Court has sought point-wise responses from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government over a Public Interest Litigation alleging that the newly opened Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway developed potholes and suffered damage at 74 locations within 26 days of becoming operational. A bench comprising Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Uttar Pradesh transport department to respond to the allegations. The petition concerns an expressway constructed at an estimated cost of INR 4,700 crore and alleges large-scale corruption in its construction. The petitioner has sought an independent investigation under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge or by an agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation. The PIL has also challenged the toll rates being charged on the expressway.
The Allahabad High Court has sought responses from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government over allegations of potholes and damage on the newly opened Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway. A bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Uttar Pradesh transport department to file point-wise replies to the allegations made in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The PIL alleges that the expressway developed potholes or suffered damage at 74 locations within 26 days of becoming operational. The petition has raised questions over the quality of construction and sought scrutiny of the circumstances in which the reported damage occurred shortly after the road was opened to traffic.
According to the petition, the expressway was constructed at a cost of around INR 4,700 crore. The petitioner has alleged large-scale corruption in the construction of the project and sought an independent investigation into the matter.
The petition has asked that the proposed inquiry be conducted under the supervision of a retired judge of the Supreme Court or High Court, or by an independent investigative agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation. The demand places the construction quality, execution and oversight of the highway project under judicial scrutiny.
The court's direction requires the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, NHAI and the Uttar Pradesh transport department to respond specifically to the allegations raised in the PIL. The authorities are therefore required to provide their positions on the reported damage and the claims concerning construction of the expressway.
The petition has also raised concerns over the toll being charged to motorists using the expressway. The petitioner has sought a reduction in toll rates, arguing that both the quality of construction and the charges levied on users should be independently examined.
The court's intervention comes shortly after the expressway became operational, with the PIL specifically citing the appearance of potholes and other damage at multiple locations within 26 days. The allegations have brought the construction and maintenance standards of the recently opened road under examination.
The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway is a major road link between the two Uttar Pradesh cities. The reported defects and the resulting PIL have now prompted the High Court to seek explanations from the central and state authorities responsible for the project and its oversight.
The proceedings will depend on the responses filed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, NHAI and the Uttar Pradesh transport department. The petitioner has sought an independent probe into the alleged construction irregularities, while the court has, at this stage, called for point-wise responses to the claims made in the PIL.
Source - PTI
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
