HC displeased over poor upkeep of roads by AMC, PWD and contractors

Aurangabad, Sept 5:

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Arun Pednekar, on Monday, expressed their displeasure with the poor upkeep of cement and tar roads in the city. The bench also refrained the custodian of roads from releasing the payments of the contractors during the defect liability period (DLP).

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Public Works Department (PWD) tactfully turn their backs on the deteriorating condition of roads in the city. It depicts that they are unaware of their responsibility to get the damages repaired by the contractors concerned and maintain the roads. It seems that the irresponsible attitude is going on through mutual understanding between the contractors and the officers, observes the High Court underlining that it would think of blacklisting the lethargic contractors in future.

It may be noted that the DLP of each cement concrete road is of 5 years and each tar road is three years. Hence the responsibility of maintaining these new roads or repairing them (on getting damaged) is with the contractors concerned.

Meanwhile, the PWD has submitted a report to the High Court stating that the task of filling potholes on six roads in its custodian is underway. The roads include Cidco Bus Stand to Harsul T-Point; Mahaveer Chowk to Delhi Gate to Harsul T-Point; Mill Corner to Bibi ka Maqbara to Aurangabad Caves; old Octroi Check Post (Nagar Naka) to Daulatabad; old Octroi Check Post to Mahaveer Chowk to Chikalthana Airport (Jalna Road) and Cambridge School to Chikalthana to Sawangi Bypass. Many of these roads were built recently and the repairing of the same is underway.

“The construction of the road near Golwadi railway overbridge (RoB) was expected to be done by January 30, 2023, but will now get completed by December 31. The PWD will also be completing the repairing of roads by December 15,” stated Adv Sujeet Karlekar.

Responsibility upon collector

The petitioner Adv Rupesh Jaiswal requested the High Court to fix the responsibility relating to the potholes on the damaged roads upon the district collector under Disaster Management Act. He submitted a decision of the Kerala High Court in this regard. The court assured him of giving a thought over it in the next hearing.