State to Bombay High Court: Won’t pay errant contractors

Justices A S Oka and A S Gadkari said, “Till the next date of hearing, no money shall be released to contractors of projects in which irregularities have been found by the Chitale Committee. The reply by the state government shall be placed before the court on January 20, 2015.” The next hearing is on January 29, 2015.

The HC was hearing a PIL by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Mayank Gandhi and Anjali Damania and activists Ajay Mathankar and Brian Lobo seeking an independent inquiry into sanctioning of dam projects in Konkan division, citing irregularities in the sanction of the Kondane dam project over Ulhas river.

The HC was also informed that the state government has decided to carry out an independent inquiry in the case of the Kondane and Chanera irrigation projects. The state government, on Wednesday, placed four engineers of the irrigation department under suspension for anomalies in the Kondane irrigation project.

Justices A S Oka and A S Gadkari said: “The Advocate General seeks time to file an exhaustive affidavit to put forward the stand of the state government. He states that in the case of the Kondane and Chanera irrigation projects, the government has decided to carry out a fair and independent inquiry for which the modalities are being worked out.”

The petitioners alleged that RTI inquires revealed no clearances were sought from the environment and archeological departments before the project began, even though 216 hectares of forest would be affected and Kondhane Caves, a Nationally Protected Monument of the ASI, were located within the catchment area.