NHAI releases money for Panipat-Jalandhar highway repair

September 26, 2013

I P Singh, TNN

JALANDHAR: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has released Rs 17 crore to the Punjab and Haryana governments for undertaking immediate repair and maintenance of NH1 between Panipat and Jalandhar.

The NHAI has also served a notice on project concessionaire Soma Isolux asking it to suspend toll collection as it was not maintaining the highway. “We have released Rs 9 crore and Rs 8 crore to Punjab and Haryana governments, respectively, to ensure that the highway was immediately repaired as commuters were facing difficulties due the bad condition of the road at several places. This amount would be added to the account of the concessionaire,” said NHAI member (finance) Satish Chandra.

A legal battle is already on between the NHAI and Soma over termination of contract and the matter is pending in the Supreme Court. “Our action asking Soma to suspend toll tax in view of non-maintenance of the road is separate from the termination issue as the concessionaire was supposed to maintain the road, even if the new work was not undertaken,” said Chandra.

He said the NHAI was addressing both issues – to repair the road and to stop toll collection till the project is completed.

Meanwhile, a representative of Soma Isolux said the company had not yet received any notice and it would respond to it after examining it. The company had been maintaining that it would carry out work on the project once the issue would be decided by the apex court. The NHAI has not divided the issues of maintenance and construction and has started cornering the concessionaire on maintenance issues.

It may be mentioned here that toll rates were recently revised by the concessionaire even as fresh work was not undertaken. This had evoked strong reaction from the public and union minister of state for information and broadcasting Manish Tewari, who represents Ludhiana constituency in the parliament, had raised the issue with the road transport and highway ministry.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Highway, NHAI

4 Comments on “NHAI releases money for Panipat-Jalandhar highway repair” Post your comment

Rakesh singhai on April 3rd, 2014 6:20 pm

It is absolutely atrocious on part of NHAI and SOMA ISOLUX the way panipat Jalandhar highway has been handled.
It is amazing that soma is not doing any work and the public is suffering enormously.
It is absolutely brazen that it is still collecting toll.

There must be some clause in the contract which will allow NHAI to get rid of Soma and get the projects completed.At least the incomplete flyovers must be completed and financials can be sorted out later .

I hope some people file a PIL IN SUPREME COURT and get the work going.

How can NHAI hide behind court case in Supreme Court and let the people suffer.

The way this project has been handled,there must have been brazen corruption both by soma and NHAI and they should be brought to book.

Until then,the project work should commence without any delay and toll collection must be stopped immediately.

In fact there should be a negative toll and each vehicle passing thru the stretch should be compensated in cash to make up for extra loss of fuel and time compared to what it was before project was started.

A beautiful road before the project has been massacred by crooks in NHAI in collusion with soma.
RAJESH GUPTA on April 14th, 2014 11:35 pm

Dear RAKESH YOU rightly expressed your anguish for NHAI AND SOMA AS BOTH HAVE BETRAYED PEOPLE . PEOPLE ARE SUFERING DUE TO THE NEGLEGENCY OF BOTH THE PARTIES AND NO ONE IN THE GOVT OR THE POLITICIAN IS TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE. THE CONCERNED PARTIES SHOULD COME TO THE COPROMISE IN THE INTERST OF COMMON PEOPLE.
ashwani on July 23rd, 2014 6:15 pm

this is bull shit project. Roard quality is too much poor. no Roard alignment of roard.
drain structure is also miserable.Soma company is not a quality making road compay. Lac of instrument and equipment for making good road. i will recommend
Gammon india company for this project
PIYUSH GUPTA on September 16th, 2015 2:58 pm

soma isoux must be banned to collecting toll from the public now. it has become a harrasment for public now ,as per the honrable supreme court orders the extension of a final date was 31-03-2015 had been held to stop the toll but soma isolux defied the supreme court orders and still existing the toll barriers . public is getting out of control now so it is my humble submission that the toll should be banned ,at least the private vehcle should be free from the toll as happened in mharastra recently on the contrary they charge a huge amont of toll and revised without informing the court ,as u know the prices of fuel have come down but they raised the toll charges instead of raising they must be come down .A TOLL MUST BE ONLY RS 50 FOR MULTIPLE JORNEY AND ONLY THREE TOLL BARRIERS SHOULD BE PRSENT BETWEEM PANIPAT TO JALANDER BUT THEY HAVE CREATED MORE THAN THREE AND CHARGES NEAR ABOUT 600 TO 700 RS TO CROSS IT . ONE MORE THING CIVIL DEFENCE SHOULD ALSO BE EXEMPTED . APART FROM THIS THE PRIVATE VEHCLE MUST BE EXEMPTED FROM THE TOLL OR FREE THEM . TOLL BOOTHES AS INCREASES DAY BY DAY AS LIKE KARAYANA SHOPS WHICH IS NOT GOOD .