Court Lifts Stay on Expressway Contract Termination: Smooth Roads Ahead

The Delhi High Court removed a stay on NHAI's termination of a contract with a Delhi-Mumbai expressway contractor for delays. The court's decision allows NHAI to find another contractor, emphasizing the importance of timely infrastructure completion for citizens' benefit.

The Delhi High Court has overturned a previous ruling, allowing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to terminate its contract with a contractor on the delayed Delhi-Mumbai expressway project. The court highlighted the necessity for citizens to have access to a completed highway for seamless travel.

A judicial bench led by Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar annulled a prior decision preventing NHAI from proceeding with a termination notice issued to Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd. The court clarified this would enable NHAI to seek a new contractor to finish the uncompleted stretch.

The legal battle, involving arbitration, revolves around who is at fault for the delay. Meanwhile, solicitor Tushar Mehta argued the need to lift the stay to prevent further project delays, which would ensure the timely completion of the national infrastructure undertaking.

(With inputs from agencies.)