Haryana government on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that inconvenience caused to commuters on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway was bringing a bad name to the state and sought termination of the concession agreement between Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL) and NHAI.
Justice Manmohan Singh posted the matter for hearing on July 31.
“The state of Haryana desires and expects an early solution to the source of insurmountable inconvenience and harassment to ordinary citizens and commuters causing huge line of traffic and obstructing smooth flow of business and hindering economic development of the area,” the state said.
Haryana government has made the submissions in an application moved by it seeking to be impleaded as a party in DGSCL’s plea to restrain National Highway Authority of India from taking any coercive action against it, including termination of the contract to operate the expressway.
The state government, in its plea filed by advocate Manjit Singh, has also sought removal of the two toll plazas at the expressway or else termination of concession agreement on the ground of concessionaire’s event of default with a one-time termination payment of Rs 118 crore.
It has also sought that the court may allow a proposal of Haryana government to acquire project rights under political event under a particular clause after which the state shall bear the liability of Rs 385.5 crore on account of termination payment.
It added that only one single toll plaza be allowed after 61 kilometers.
The state government told the court that the present concessionaire of the Gurgaon-Jaipur six lane project has also consented to the arrangement proposed by Haryana government.
Haryana government, in its application, said, NHAI conceived conversion of Delhi-Gurgoan section of National Highway number eight (NH-8) into eight/six lane access control facility to regulate movement of traffic between Delhi and Gurgoan.
The toll plazas were set up at two points with effect from January 23, 2008.
Because of shortcoming on the part of the Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL), the NHAI issued notices to it.
The toll plazas have been causing inconvenience to general public using NH-8 and there have been traffic jams which is giving rise to deep-rooted public resentment, thereby giving a bad name to the state government as well as the NHAI and the central government.
From time to time, there has been problem of immense public inconvenince and the same has been brought to the notice of NHAI and DGSCL by the state government but to no avail.
The state also said it had requested NHAI and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway for removal of both the toll plazas to provide urgent relief and there have also been meetings between the state’s chief minister and the Union minister concerned.
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