Court hinted at action against agencies involved in constructing the bridge. Archive
How are you treating the city and its citizens, the Delhi High Court said Thursday, expressing concerns over the delay in completion of the Signature Bridge across the Yamuna.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also hinted at action against the agencies involved in the construction and said the authorities should inform it about the time within which they will complete the project.
“The construction is long pending and the authorities are hardly bothered. Despite our order, nothing much has happened. This is an important project, but no one is bothered,” the bench said, adding that “this is how you are treating your city and its citizens”. “The bridge is nowhere near completion,” the bench noted, asking the chairperson of the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation, and chief-engineer, PWD, to inspect the construction and its progress.
Giving them one last opportunity to come up with a proper timeline, the bench said that authorities should indicate to this court on affidavit about the alternatives available for the people in dire need of the bridge, which connects Delhi with Uttar Pradesh’s industrial areas, such as Tronica city in Ghaziabad.
The court asked the Delhi chief secretary to hold a meeting with all stakeholders to take stock of the situation and file a status report by July 20. It also observed that the project cost should not escalate as it is public money which is being misused.
The court’s direction came while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by advocate Pratibha Chopra, who pointed out the inordinate delay in the project and alleged the construction of the bridge had missed several deadlines since 2011.