Shimla: Hearing a matter related to the widening of Slapper-Tattapani road in Mandi district, the Himachal Pradesh high court has directed the state government to ensure that the stay order passed by the Supreme Court regarding ban on felling trees is complied with. It further stated that the state government could approach the apex court and seek permission to continue with the construction of road.In compliance with the January 9 order, the HPPWD superintending engineer, Mandi, had filed a status report-cum-affidavit on March 18, explaining that 21 villages were involved in the construction and widening of Slapper-Tattapani road. Earlier, approval for construction of a single lane road was taken under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, at some reaches and now a revised approval was required to be taken from the Union ministry of environment and forest.The court was informed that for approval from the Union ministry, revenue papers of 21 villages had been prepared and the NOC collected from competent authorities. Thereafter, joint inspection of the forest land was also conducted and that the proposal under the Forest Conservation Act will be processed at the earliest.While hearing the matter on Thursday, a division bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sandeep Sharma directed the competent authority in Himachal Pradesh to immediately approach the Union government for necessary approval.It said that the status report reveals that the contractor, Sanjay Kumar Sharma, was given the construction work of a 70m span steel truss bridge at Neri village and he built only eight panels, out of 10. However, only seven panels were completed and one was built partially. Also, Sharma had promised to complete the bridge by September 15, 2018, despite subsequent directions, failed to construct the ninth panel. His counsel had stated that despite two registered letters sent to him, Sharma had not turned up to file any status report.“We are, thus, constrained to impose a cost of Rs 50,000 on Sharma, which he shall be required to deposit with the High Court Bar Association Welfare Fund within four weeks, failing which coercive action shall be taken and penalty shall also be enhanced. He is further directed to file an undertaking giving the timeline within which the work of construction of bridge shall be completed,” it added.The court said that since the construction work is now likely to be expedited with the change in weather, a fresh status report should be filed on the next date of hearing by all concerned and posted the matter for May 20.

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