Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 15: High Court today directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a high power committee to decide which authority has to pay a sum of Rs 3.83 crore to a contractor for executing the work allotted to him.
The direction was passed in a petition filed by Sujan Singh and in view of conflicting statements made by various departments, who have been made party respondents.
Advocate Ankur Sharma representing the petitioner exposed the excuses being taken by different authorities namely Department of Irrigation and Flood Control and DC Samba as well as Divisional Commissioner Jammu. “The shadow boxing going on between these authorities was that each was declaring the other as the authority responsible for releasing the amount to the petitioner”, he added.
Witnessing the inter departmental conflict, Justice B S Walia directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a high powered committee and submit a report within 6 weeks finding out as to which is the authority who has to make the payment to the petitioner.
It is pertinent to mention here that contract is related to the construction of embankments around Basantpur river near Samba which has been successfully executed by the petitioner nearly 6 months back. The departments in their inter-departmental communications have agreed to the release of payment but each authority was seen to pass the buck to other higher authority.
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