3 days Ago By Sentinel Digital Desk
Staff Reporter The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to file the status report regarding the progress of the work undertaken by the consulting agency selected to prepare the GIS-based Comprehensive Master Plan and Detailed Project Report for Guwahati city by the next date of hearing, scheduled for January 27, 2025. The direction was issued by the division bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Kaushik Goswami while conducting a hearing in a public interest litigation (PIL/14/2024) filed by the North East Eco Development Society regarding the issue of flash floods and waterlogging in Guwahati. In response to the direction given by the HC earlier, an affidavit was filed on behalf of the state government on Wednesday, wherein it is stated that one agency has been hired for the preparation of a GIS-based Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan and Detailed Project Report for Guwahati city, and a work order has also been issued to the said agency.
It is further submitted that the said agency has already submitted the inception report, which said the work is in progress. On November 11, 2024, the court had granted time to K.N.
Choudhury, the amicus curiae, to file his comments in respect of the additional affidavit filed on behalf of the state. An additional affidavit was filed on behalf of one Akash Deep Baruah, to whom the HC at one stage had allowed to intervene in the matter considering that he was holding a high post in the Forest Department. However, in the affidavit, concern is raised about the fact that the agency mentioned has asked for a long time to conclude the work, which may result in a delay in taking corrective measures.
Moreover, the deponent simultaneously questioned the manner in which the work order was granted to the consulting agency. It is also mentioned that several other indigenous companies are also capable of doing the said consultancy work, but they were ignored, and this consulting agency from the Netherlands, which may not have experience in controlling artificial floods, has been engaged. The bench observed that, at present, it was only concerned with the measures taken by the state government for controlling the perennial flood situation in the .
The manner of awarding the tender and the selection of the agency is not the scope of this PIL, it stated. Otherwise also, the bench stated, if any person is aggrieved by the action of the state government in awarding the work to a particular agency and the money spent in the said process, he/she is free to file separate proceedings in respect of that. The bench directed the Advocate General, D.
Saikia, to file the status report regarding the progress of the work undertaken by the consulting agency by the next date of hearing on January 27, 2025. Also Read: Also Watch:.
