DIMAPUR, JUNE 1: The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court on Thursday issued notice to Nagaland Government and Public Works Department for alleged non-payment of bill to a Contractor.
According to Court records, the Contractor, A Neangba Konyak, filed a Writ Petition seeking a directive to the State respondents to release unpaid bills amounting to Rs 1,77,54,000 for construction of the 2 km additional road from Phokpur Village to Thongsonyu Village in Noklak district.
“It is the case of the learned Counsel for the petitioner that the original work from Phokpur-Thongsonyu Village for which the Work Order was issued was only for 8 km, however, on the request of the Executive Engineer (R&B), Noklak, and the Chief Engineer (R&B), Nagaland, and on the assurance that the bill for the additional 2 km work shall be paid, the petitioner, without any Work Order issued by the competent authority, has undertaken and completed the work”, stated an order issued by Justice Kakheto Sema.
In support of his submission that the Contractor is entitled to the bill even without the Work Order from the competent authority, the Counsel for the petitioner cited the case of the State of West Bengal vs. B.K. Mondal & Sons reported in AIR 1962 SC 779.
“It is the case of the petitioner that as the pending bill amounting to Rs 1,77,54,000 remains unpaid despite the petitioner’s approach before the competent authority, the petitioner has approached this Court by way of this writ petition. Issue notice to the respondents returnable within four weeks. List it after four weeks”, the order stated.
(Page News Service)
