-SATISH HANDA

As many as 4300 street lights were not installed on the service lane of six lane project on the national highway between Panipat and Jalandhar having three Toll Plaza on the route as per tender contract on Soma Company which collected amount worth Rs 6000 crore towards toll tax in past 10 years. Surprisingly, not a single street light was installed on the service lane remained immersed in darkness in past years allegedly by the company violated terms of contract as well as neglect on the part of officers of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) since contract between two has already been terminated in the month March this year and NHAI has now given the contract for installation of street lights on the service lane of this national highway to some other firm for amount worth nearly Rs 42 crore and work for installation of poles is under process at present.

According to information, contract for six lane project on the national highway between Panipat and Jalandhar was finalized in 2008 and Soma Company collected toll tax on all vehicles passing through three Toll Plaza on the highway on the route near Karnal, Ambala and Ludhiana having revenue earnings for amount worth about Rs 1.75 crore daily by Soma Company started functioning from May 2009 and the project to be completed in 2011 was further extended by NHAI. Meanwhile, conflict between NHAI and Soma Company started and tender was cancelled when Soma Company moved to tribunal court against NHAI decision. According to Rakesh Singh Regional Officer NHAI, the firm violated terms of tender contract and failed to install 4300 street lights on the service lane of national highway between Panipat and Jalandhar