Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Mar 9: The state High Court (HC), on Tuesday March 8, imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 on three government officials, observing that they had filed an appeal in the HC perfunctorily, instead of allowing the maintenance work of national highway 48 between Bangalore and Mangalore to be conducted by the contractor company.

Chief engineer of National Highways Authority of India, executive engineer of national highways Mangalore division, and secretary of the public works department, came under the wrath of the court in the case. The HC bench presided over by Justice V K Sabhahit, observed that this road is in a very bad shape, and that it requires to be repaired urgently. “It is a known fact that people are suffering because of non-maintenance of this road. Instead of allowing the contractor company to undertake repair works, the officials have chosen to go on an appeal, which cannot be tolerated. The officials are fit to be penalized,” the bench observed.

In a tender relating to conducting maintenance work of national highway 48 floated on December 7, 2007, the work had been contracted to Sri Durga Constructions. The government had cancelled the tender later, saying that the company failed to execute the contract papers in time.

This move was questioned by the company before a single-judge bench of the HC. The company had contended that the government did not consider its frequent requests to entrust contract to it, duly backed by proper reasons for the above delay. The single judge bench had asked the government to consider the company’s request, against which, the government had filed an appeal.