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| HC stays cabinet decision on Sawlakote project | | MD PDC directed to maintain status quo | |
Jammu, Nov 22
Jammu and Kashmir High Court today stayed the proposal of state government to float global tenders for the execution of work on prestigious 1200MW Sawlakote Project, to be constructed on river Chinab in district Doda and further directed Managing Director State Project Development Corporation to maintain status quo with regard to the allotment of work.
A consortium of SPAS of Norway, Qzaltin of Turkey and Hindustan Construction Company, which was allotted the execution work of the project, has approached the state high court challenging the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet decision to cancel the allotment of work.
Though the consortium is yet to receive any written order with regard to the cancellation of contract, the writ petition has reportedly cited the media reports with regard to the cabinet decision and sought the intervention of the court. Interestingly, the counsel, who is representing the consortium in the court, is All India Congress Committee spokesman Manu Abhisekh Singhvi, a Supreme Court lawyer.
JL Koul, Liaison officer of SPAS Norway, told News Agency of Kashmir that the writ petition was listed before Justice Nirmal Singh today, who has issued interim direction to the government. “The court, in its order announced in the court, has directed the state government not to float the global tenders and maintain status quo with regard the allotment of work till the disposal of the writ petition”, he added.
Norwegian company has challenged the cabinet decision on the ground that it was made unilaterally without even granting an opportunity of being heard to the company. “We have clearly stated in the writ petition that the government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the company, which has negotiated the prices as per the norms”, said Koul.
“The government had invited limited biding in 1999 and two companies came forward but when our company negotiated the prices the government entered into an agreement with us, following which we submitted detailed project report of the project”, Koul told News Agency of Kashmir.
The prestigious power project was to be executed by a consortium comprising of SPAS of Norway, Qzaltin of Turkey and the HCC with a cost of Rs 4,312.5 crore. The project was to be executed in seven and half years as per the terms and condition of the agreement.
The 1200 MW Sawlakote hydel project, planned over river Chenab in militancy infested district Doda, was being looked at with suspicious eyes since it was allotted to the consortium in the year 2001 and finally the state cabinet, in its order last week, cancelled the agreement and directed PDC to float global tenders. |
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