Contractor Seeks ₹173 Crore Compensation for Road Damage Amid Pipeline Work on Paithan Road

The work of laying a pipeline for the ambitious new Rs 2,740 crore pipeline project, aimed at supplying water to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar from Jayakwadi Dam, is underway.

The contractor company working for Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran has dug up the entire Paithan Highway at various places for pipeline installation. Everscon Joint Venture Company, which was awarded the contract for constructing the Paithan Highway, has now approached the High Court, demanding ₹173 crore in compensation for the damage caused to the road. The company has submitted an intervening plea in the public interest litigation related to this issue with the Aurangabad Division Bench of the Bombay High Court.

Work can get hampered

A dispute has now arisen between two departments of the Maharashtra government, and this could potentially hamper the pipeline laying work.

The company claims that the Jeevan Pradhikaran has received letters requesting compensation for the road damage. On June 21, 2023, a letter was sent asking for compensation of Rs 3.38 crore for road damage and removal of the murum. On July 25, 2023, a compensation of Rs 39.61 crore was demanded for digging the road. On May 11, 2023, a compensation of Rs 41.01 crore was demanded for damage to the Dhule-Solapur Road. On March 17, 2024, a compensation of Rs 24.17 crore was sought for repairing the dug road, and on March 20, 2024, Rs 67.57 crore was requested for digging a 6 km stretch of road.

According to the plea, Jeevan Pradhikaran has been damaging the road since July 2023, and the administration has not coordinated with the concerned department or the contractor during the digging process. The construction work of the road has been affected due to the mismanagement of Jeevan Pradhikaran.