Gujrat high court junks PIL against construction of flyover in Vadodara

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat high court has turned down a PIL demanding that construction work of a flyover in Vadodara city should be stopped and the civic body should be asked to reconsider its decision of putting up a bridge at the Harinagar junction on Gotri road.
Petitioner NGO – Jagte Raho filed the PIL against the construction mainly on two grounds. First, that the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) awarded the contract for construction of the flyover without studying the report of the Central Road Research Institute and secondly, the contract was awarded at a much higher price.Later during the hearing the petitioner raised the issue of credibility of the contractor – Rachna Construction. This happened after an under-construction flyover in Athavalines in Surat city collapsed killing six labourers. Rachna Construction is the contractor and its office bearers are now facing criminal charges after the collapse.
VMC opposed the PIL on contention that the NGO was espousing a cause of an individual, whose property was situated on the land the construction was taking place. The civic body also submitted before the court the road map to resolve traffic problem in future.
At completion of hearing, the court said, “After an extensive study and based on the opinion of the experts, VMC has taken the decision to construct a flyover at the Gotri Road, Harinagar junction. How to construct a flyover or where to construct a flyover, is not for the Court to decide... We do not possess the engineering expertise in the field of infrastructure and the viability and feasibility of a particular project.”