STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A Bench of the Gauhati High Court comprising Chief Justice RM Chhaya has given the Managing Director and Executive Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) three months' time to look into certain grievances raised by two local residents of the Kaliabor Tiniali area who moved a PIL alleging shortcomings in works for four-laning of the National Highway-37 from Rangagara to Kaliabor Tiniali, the stretch from Kaliabor Tiniali to Dolabari, as well the stretch from Judicial Court Complex, Kaliabor to Kaliabor Tiniali and Kaliabor Tiniali to Uluoni Chariali.
The petitioners have requested the court to issue a directive for incorporating the provision of Essential Utility Services such as service road, drainage system, pedestrian under pass etc., in the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
While directing the NHIDCL officials to look into the matter, the Bench noted that the minutes of a meeting held on March 6, 2019 indicate that effort had been made by the state government to highlight the concerns regarding the nature of works undertaken under the NHIDCL in the area and that the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been also apprised of the matter.
The High Court observed in its Order passed on Friday, "The record indicates that because non-action on the part of National Highway Authority, water logging has become perennial problem in the area in question. We, therefore, deem it fit to direct the respondents … to look into the grievance raised by the petitioner as well as the correspondences on record within a period of three months from the date of receipt of copy of this Order."
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