HC mulls action against PWD Secy for non-clearance of drain

New Delhi: Irked over Delhis Public Works Department not sticking to its deadlines to finish building of the Barapullah bridge and clearing the Kushak drain, the Delhi High Court today asked the department Secretary why no action should be taken against him for this.

A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sanjeev Sachdeva issued a notice to PWD Secretary Ashwani Kumar to show cause why action should not be taken against him for not sticking to the deadlines the department gave to the court for finishing the bridge project and clearing the drain of construction debris.

“What is this? Why are things being taken so casually? You are giving us all kinds of deadlines,” the bench said and listed the matter for hearing on November 8 before which Kumar has to respond to the notice.

The order came on a PIL initiated by the court in 2012 on the issue of water-logging in the South Extension Part II area on which it had passed orders from time to time to the Public Works Department (PWD) to clear rubble from the Kushak drain.

The matter was listed today as PWD moved an application seeking early hearing of its plea for permission to move earth into the drain at some stretches in connection with the bridge construction.

The court did not pass any order on the PWD application.
PTI