Road Transport Ministry will review NH-related arbitration cases every 15 days, instructions sent to states
The Road Transport Ministry has decided to review arbitration cases related to National Highways every 15 days. The ministry has ordered the states and Public Works Departments to inform the ministry about the arbitration decisions within seven days and follow the 120-day deadline for filing appeals. This will prevent losses due to delays in appeals.
With a concern that losses were being caused due to delays in appeals in courts when unfavorable orders were passed in arbitration cases in National Highways in states, the Road Transport Ministry has now decided to review all such matters fortnightly.
The ministry has said in a letter sent to all the states and the Chief Engineers of the Public Works Department involved in some form or the other in highway construction that such cases are coming to the fore in which the time limit is not being followed in filing appeals in the courts after the settlement of arbitration awards i.e. arbitration cases. Due to this, the appeal is being rejected without a hearing.
To prevent this, the states and their public works departments have been asked to compulsorily inform the ministry within seven days of the arbitration decisions. Along with this, all the cases will be reviewed by senior officials of the ministry every 15 days.
The ministry has asked the states to follow the 120-day time limit for filing appeals so that in case of adverse decisions in arbitration cases, appeals can be filed within the stipulated time. The ministry has also asked its agencies like NHAI to make similar arrangements.
