Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Nitin Suryawanshi and Justice Sandeepkumar C More on Wednesday issued orders to serve notice to the Executive Engineer of National Highways S L Galande and its Chief Engineer Rajiv Singh (Mumbai) in a contempt petition.
The next hearing has been scheduled on August 6. Paithan Pandharpur Palkhi Marg was declared as 752 E-National Highway in 2017. This highway will connect Mungi, Paithan, Bodhegaon, Ghogas Pargaon, Ukhanda Chakla, Midsangvi, Shirur Kasar, Rakshasa Bhuvan, Karegaon, Dongar Kinhi, Chumbli, Patoda, Pargaon Ghumra, Dighol, Kharda and then, it will go to Pandharpur.
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What was petition?
The work on this road, which started 8 years ago, is incomplete at many places. People are suffering from dust and potholes due to digging the road. The work on the bridges is incomplete at different places. This will be a comfortable route for the Warkaris from Paithan to Pandharpur Wari. However, because of various reasons, the negligence of the contractors and officers, the work has been stalled.
Patoda-based Mahadev Nagargoje, H B P Ramkrishna Ganpatrao Randhave and Chakrapani Jadhav submitted representations to the concerned officials requesting them to work at the earliest.
When demonstrations and protests were staged under the leadership of Nagargoje, it was assured that the above work would be done by August 2023.
However, the work was not completed. Therefore, the trio filed a public interest litigation in the HC bench through adv Narsingh Jadhav. The court ordered them to complete the highway work by 31 December 2024. A contempt petition has been filed over non-completion of the work within this deadline.
Adv Jadhav was assisted by adv Ravindra Wankhede and adv Gaurav Khande. Adv S R Wakale represented the government.