Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
During the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, it came to light that several encroachers in the Beed Bypass area were obstructing the city’s water supply scheme project. Taking serious note of this, the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Ashwin Bhobhe, on Friday, directed that criminal cases be registered immediately against anyone creating such obstructions. The bench also warned that any act hindering the project would be treated as contempt of court.
Statement from CSMC
During the hearing, Adv. Sambhaji Tope, representing the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC), informed the court about the situation. He also said that the tripartite agreement for a loan amount of ₹822 crore, which constitutes the municipal corporation’s share of the project funding, was signed yesterday (on November 6). The State Government has acted as guarantor for this loan, on which interest will be charged. The Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) will receive funds from this amount as required. Adv. Tope requested the court to instruct the contractor to expedite the project work now that the funds are available.
Contractor promises early completion
The High Court-appointed monitoring committee’s report revealed that, contrary to earlier assurances, none of the works were fully completed by the contractor. The high court had earlier set a deadline of July 15 to complete 15 key works, but only a small portion of the tasks were finished. The water distribution works also remain incomplete.
In response, senior Advocate R. N. Dhorde, representing the contractor, explained that progress had been slow due to heavy rains, shortage of labourers, and lack of funds. However, with funds now available, he assured that the remaining works would be completed soon. A proposal seeking extension of the project deadline was also submitted. The next hearing is scheduled for November 18, when the court will decide on the matter.