HC questions on air travel of G20 summits VVIPs to Ajanta Caves

Aurangabad:

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising a panel of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice S A Deshmukh today (Jan 11) questioned the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the local administration, why they planned to show Ajanta Caves to the G20 summit delegation through air travel. Why the administration is hesitating in transporting the chief guests (delegation) like common people through the road?

The bench raised the question during the hearing upon ‘suo moto’ writ petition filed in connection with the pathetic condition of Aurangabad-Ajanta Road.

Earlier, some local dailies published the news stating that Thailand’s ambassador has expressed his displeasure on experiencing the journey through Aurangabad-Ajanta-Jalgaon Road. He has made a tweet. Taking cognizance of it, the High Court got filed the ‘suo moto’ petition in 2019, while Adv Chaitanya Dharurkar was appointed as an ‘amicus curiae’. The contractor appointed to complete the road work and other associated government departments were made respondents in the petition and were asked to submit their says.

Adv Dharurkar informed the High Court that the G20 delegation will be visiting the world heritage Ajanta and Ellora Caves. The district collector has ordered the contractor to complete the Aurangabad-Ajanta Road work by January-end. However, the administration has also prepared ‘Plan B’ in which if the road works get delayed, the VVIP delegates will be touring Ajanta Caves through helicopters. I got the reliable information through some journalists, he said.

The bench said that presently 90 per cent of the road works are completed. However, big potholes are existing where two sections of the road is meeting at different points. are meeting. However, if Adv Vinod Patil provides photographs featuring the real condition of the road before the next hearing date, then the court could verify the facts.

The next hearing on the petition will be held on January 19. Hence the district collectors of Jalgaon and Aurangabad will take positive steps in this regard, hope the High Court by instructing NHAI to deploy its concerned responsible officer in the next hearing.

Adv Bhushan Kulkarni represented NHAI; Adv Nitin Chaudhary pleaded on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority; Adv Abhijeet Darandale and Adv Praveen Dighe represented the contractor, while Adv Dnyaneshwar Kale and Adv Sujeet Karlekar pleaded on behalf of the state government.