News: E-way Delayed For 8 Years, Buyers Move High Court-22.02.2017

E-way delayed for 8 years, buyers move high court

GURUGRAM: Frustrated over the delay in the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) project, investors in various residential and commercial projects on Dwarka expressway have approached the Punjab and Haryana high court for early completion of the road.

The petition filed on February 16 by DXP Welfare Association, which represents investors from more than 20 projects on Dwarka expressway, prompted Justice Surya Kant to issue notices to the Union ministry of road transport and highways, National Highways Authorities of India, Huda and the department of town and country planning (DTCP).

In its petition against the state and central agencies concerned, the association has demanded a time-bound plan for early completion of the NPR project, which has been delayed by more than eight years now, and a court-appointed panel to monitor it.

"Investors have also sought details of external development charges (EDC) and infrastructure development charges (IDC) collected from buyers on account of providing basic infrastructure like water, electricity, sewage system etc in New Gurgaon's sectors 37, 81 to 115," Amish Tandon, lawyer for the petioner, told TOI on Tuesday.

He added, "NPR was proposed to provide an alternative connectivity between Delhi and Gurgaon to ease traffic and pollution level, but still the government has no concrete plan to complete the project. More than 90,000 people who have invested in various projects on NPR are affected."

Yashesh Yadav, president of DXP Welfare Association, said there is no seriousness on part of authorities in resolving the issues to complete NPR and the situation is the same even a year after it was declared a national highway. "The association has approached the court now to bring justice to more than 90,000 families," he said.

Vice-president of DXP Welfare Association, Komal Ahuja, also vented out his anger at the authorities concerned. "We have been meeting NHAI and Huda officials on a regular basis. However, they didn't seem to be committed to complete the entire stretch as per the deadlines given by them," he said.

"Despite protests and repeatedly taking up the issue with authorities concerned at various levels, investors did not get any satisfactory response and so finally they decided to move court," said advocate Tandan.

Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said the urban development body was making all efforts to complete the project. "The project was delayed due to several litigations. But we are trying our best to complete the remaining work at the earliest."