Kolkata, Dec 6 (IANS): A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday stayed a libel-suit filed against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari by the state Public Health Engineering Department Minister Pulak Ray.

The bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar also directed the LoP to send a notice to the minister informing him about a stay on the hearing in the libel-suit filed at a district court in Howrah district.

Recently, Adhikari accused Roy and his department of irregularities in purchase of drinking water ferrules under the centrally-sponsored Jal Jeevan Mission, a project aiming to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.

Ray filed a libel-suit at the sub-division court at Uluberia in Howrah district against the LoP challenging the allegations made by him. Adhikari in turn approached the Calcutta High Court against that libel-suit filed at the district court.

The matter will come up again for hearing at the Calcutta High Court on January 11.

Adhikari had earlier alleged that the water ferrules were under the Jal Jeevan Mission by the Public Health Engineering Department at Rs 570, which is over double the existing market price of Rs 218.

He alleged that there had been irregularities to the tune of Rs 500 crore in that Rs 1,086 crore project.

After he floated the allegations first Roy had first sent a legal notice to Adhikari and then filed a libel-suit.