Stay on Sion-Panvel toll contractor’s dues extended

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has refused to vacate its stay on payment of Sion-Panvel highway toll contractor’s dues. The Sion-Panvel highway toll contractor had approached the high court, asking it to vacate the stay on its order of restraining the government from paying Rs 390 crore to him. The Bombay high court said that the stay would continue for another three weeks till the petitioner filed another civil writ petition for pursuing the other prayers pertaining to the toll scam. The state informed the court that it had registered an FIR against five persons and others in the scam, which was the petitioner’s main prayer.

A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Sarang Kotwal was hearing a PIL filed by activist Pravin Wategaonkar against the wrongful tendering process of the Sion-Panvel highway for widening and maintenance of the toll collection plaza at Kharghar. The activist had alleged that the rules were flouted to benefit a particular contractor and had prayed for directions for the state and police to lodge criminal complaints against persons involved in the scam apart from a host of other prayers.

Complying with a court order of March 27, the state through public prosecutor Mankuwar Deshmukh informed the court that it had registered an FIR against five persons and others on June 23 and hence the petition should be disposed of. However, Mr Wategaonkar, who appeared in person, told the court that the other prayers were not addressed and hence the petition should not be disposed of.

In light of the FIR being registered, advocates for the contractor pleaded that the stay on his dues should be vacated. However, the court upheld Mr Wategaonkar’s objection to this and directed the petitioner to file a separate civil writ or PIL. The court also said that the stay on the release of contractors dues would continue for the next three weeks till the petitioner filed the other petition.