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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Commuters may blame National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for work stalling for over two years on the Panipat-Jalandhar highway, a crucial stretch of NH-1 that leads to the Pakistan border, but NHAI said it was &quot;helpless&quot; and put the blame on lengthy and complex legal process which the developer has used to its advantage to stop work.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">In response to highway ministry&#39;s query on zero progress on this stretch, NHAI chairman R P Singh said the Supreme Court has reserved its order for over two months after the hearing process that took more than six months. Both NHAI and the developer, Soma-Isolux, had given written submissions to the court.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Singh highlighted the problems faced by the authority in contract management of public-private partnership (PPP) projects. He mentioned how apart from invoking their rights under the contract, the developers drag NHAI to court. Indirect stakeholders can also resort to PILs.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">NHAI said in this case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court concluded that the concessionaire was in gross violation of contractual obligations and on 27.05.2013 directed the authority to take over the 291 Km stretch within seven days and complete the construction. The court had even imposed a fine of INR 67 crore on the company and one of its directors.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Singh said they had made preparations to divide the stretch into two parts and lined up contractors to complete the project on war footing, keeping in view the hardship faced by people.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">But when the developer challenged the order in the apex court, NHAI said the &quot;focus shifted from public interest aspect and it mainly wanted to hear arguments on the issue of shifting of toll plazas which is purely contractual matter&quot;.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The project awarded in 2008 was originally scheduled to be completed by November 2011.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p>