Post News Network
Cuttack, April 7: The Orissa High Court Tuesday rejected the status report submitted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on the construction of the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway.
According to sources, NHAI had submitted the status report on the progress of the construction work on the important highway connecting the state capital to the pilgrim town. A bench of the High Court comprising justices Indrajit Mohanty and Biswanath Rath asked NHAI to submit the complete report along with photographs in the form of an affidavit within 10 days.
Earlier, November 2014, the High Court had issued notices to the Centre and the state government asking them to file counters within two weeks on a PIL that alleged delay in completion of the Bhubaneswar-Puri national highway before Lord Jagannath’s ‘Nabakalebar’ ritual in July next year.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Amitava Roy had issued notices to all respondents in the PIL, including National Highway Authorities of India(NHAI) and contractors undertaking the work.
Based on information obtained under RTI Act, advocate Nishikant Mishra had filed the PIL alleging that neither the agencies nor the Central and state governments were serious about early completion of the 59-km four-lane road.
Based on a report furnished by NHAI, the High Court had vacated stay orders it had granted restraining it from acquiring certain controversial land.
The NHAI report had stated that adequate compensation had been deposited with the appropriate authorities for acquisition of those pieces of land.
