Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, Aug 30:
Acting on a Public Interest Litigation filed by one BS Angam Anal concerning the non-completion of PallelChandel road development work, Justices MBK and TN Singh in their Imphal Bench sitting of the Gauhati High Court have issued notice to the respondents making them returnable within two weeks.
The respondents listed in the PIL included Commissioner (Works), Chief Engineer (PWD), Additional CE, EE (Chandel Division) and Commissioner Finance.
According to the PIL,the road development was suspended midway even as the total estimated cost of the development work had been sanctioned by the Government.
On March 23 last year, about Rs 24 crores were sanctioned by the State Government following an intense public agitation to upgrade the 16 kms long PallelChandel road into a double lane type and maintain the bridges and culverts along the stretch, said advocate L Sharat Sharma appearing on behalf of the petitioner.
After bitumen worth Rs 5.67 crores was procured on March 31 the same year for black topping of the road, the road development work was suddenly put to a halt again prompting the public to resort to strong agitation, Sharat recounted.
Consequent upon the stir an MoU was signed between the Government and the public whereby it was agreed that the road development work would be resumed from December of the same year, he mentioned.
When the road development work was just midway through, it was stopped all of a sudden by an order issued on July 29 this year by the Commissioner (Works).
The PIL was filed in response to the erratic Government order which has brought the development to a complete halt, Sharat added.