Punjab government given deadline by HC to expedite land handover for Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway
PTC News Desk: The Punjab government has been given a deadline by the High Court to fulfill its commitments regarding stalled National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects. Specifically, the court has ordered the government to provide possession of 184.5 kilometers of land for the crucial Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway by October 15.
During a recent hearing, the High Court emphasised the importance of the project and requested the Punjab government to take decisive action based on its claims. The court expects an update on the progress made by October 16, insisting that the government demonstrates tangible results following its assertions.
In a previous session, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma submitted an affidavit stating that out of the 184.5 kilometers needed for the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, 136.44 kilometers had already been transferred to NHAI. He assured the court that the remaining land would be handed over by the October deadline, with the respective District Collector (DC) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) directed to facilitate this process.
Furthermore, the affidavit detailed that NHAI has a total of 37 projects spanning 1,344 kilometers in Punjab. Out of these, 100 percent of the land for 11 projects, covering a total of 318 kilometers, has already been transferred to NHAI.
In light of the delays in various NHAI projects, the High Court has mandated that work on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway should commence on a priority basis. The court has also instructed the Punjab government to expedite the acquisition of land necessary for completing other NHAI projects.
NHAI previously filed a petition with the High Court, citing the Punjab government’s failure to facilitate the completion of several projects. This led to the court reprimanding both the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab for the hold-ups in progress.