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Judgment
Pursuant to the order dated September 20, 2023, an affidavit has been filed on behalf of the National Highways Authority of India on September 27, 2023 indicating that the Regional Officer of NHAI posted in Guwahati had already visited the site on September 16, 2023. The instructions given by the Regional Officer are recorded in the site inspection report of September 16, 2023.
Specific instructions have been issued on September 19, 2023 to one of the contractors and to the Project Director of NHAI to take immediate short-term measures to make the entire stretch of NH-6 from Jowai to Ratacherra traffic-worthy. Much emphasis has been laid in the relevant letters to the two critical locations at Khliehriat town and near the tunnel at Sonapyrdi.
The Regional Officer’s letter requires the critical stretches, where this Court had previously observed that there was no sign of any road, to be repaired by October 15, 2023 and the short-term repair work of the entire 57 km stretch is to be completed by November 15, 2023. It is hoped that appropriate funds would released for the work to be taken up on a war footing and on a daily basis.
This Court is not really interested in the letters exchanged between NHAI officials or the written instructions issued to contractors; what is important is when the work starts and when it is completed to make the road somewhat motorable and, thereafter, complete the strengthening thereof.
For such purpose, the matter will appear a week hence for both the petitioner and the NHAI to indicate the extent of work undertaken till then. The State will cause a report to be filed by the Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills district as to the extent of work carried out in Khliehriat town and beyond Khliehriat to the south up to Lumshnong. Such report should be available on the adjourned date.
List on October 5, 2023.