HC orders to submit audit report of city flyovers by Nov 18

Aurangabad, Oct 13:

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising a panel of Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge and Justice S G Mehre has ordered the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the Government College of Engineering (GCE) to submit the audit report of all flyover bridges in the city by November 18. The verdict was aired on October 11.

The public interest litigation (PIL), drawing the attention of the High Court towards the pathetic condition of 12 internal city roads and the Shivajinagar underpass, was filed as party-in-person by Adv Rupesh Jaiswal. The next hearing upon the PIL will be held on October 27.

As per previous orders of the High Court, the GEC's associate professor Dr Ganesh Keshavrao Patil submitted the inspection report of the overbridge near the railway station. It stated that the AMC has spread layers of tar and the thickness is 50 mm whereas it should be 80 mm. The layering work has been done up to 90 per cent. There are many shortcomings on the route including the absence of Thermoplastic Road Marking, Cat Eyes and Rumbler Strips, stated an affidavit submitted by Adv S S Gangakhedkar to bring to the notice of the High Court.

Shivajinagar Underpass

Earlier, the High Court has ordered the State Government and the Railway Board to grant financial approval to the expense required for the construction of Shivajinagar underpass, on July 17. It will be a two-way underpass. The Board through Adv Manish Navander brought to the notice of the High Court that the work has been sanctioned. The total estimate of the underpass is Rs 5 crore (Rs 2.5 crore for each way) and all the total work requires Rs 36.60 crore.

The veteran law expert Rajendra Deshmukh, representing AMC said, " Of the two-ways of the underpass, the expense to construct one way will be borne by AMC and another one by the Department of Railways. The file regarding land acquisition has been sent to the district collector. As soon as the financial approval is granted, the work will be started."

Meanwhile, the executive engineer (World Bank Projects), Narsingh Bhande, through an affidavit stated that Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), on behalf of the state government, will be completing half of the works.

Hearing on 12 city roads

Earlier, the HC has ordered the GEC to conduct a ' third party inspection' of the city's 12 roads constructed by AMC under various schemes and submit the inspection report to it. These 12 roads are from Dipali Hotel to Jaibhavani Chowk; Jaibhavani Chowk to Mukundwadi Railway Station; Railway Over Bridge route - Jalannagar; Wockhardt to Naregaon; Railway Station to Tirupati Enclave; Pundaliknagar to Kamgar Chowk; Bhavani Petrol Pump (N-2) to Thackeraynagar; Mahalakshmi Chowk to Lokshahi Colony; Jalna Road to Apex Hospital; Agrasen Chowk to Central Excise Office; Jalgaon Road to Ajanta Ambassador and Amarpreet Hotel to Ekta Chowk.