NHAI may settle out of court with Delhi-Gurgaon expressway operator

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) today told the Delhi High Court that its board would consider reaching an out-of-court settlement of its differences with the concessionaire operating the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

NHAI counsel Sudhir Nandrajog submitted to Justice S. Muralidhar that the NHAI board has decided to hold a meeting on August 13 to consider the proposals to settle the issue between the parties.

The highway authority had told the court earlier that a meeting was held last month between the NHAI Committee and the concessionaire, Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd (DGSCL) and issues between the two parties had been settled but internal approvals were required for formalising the settlement.

Justice Muralidhar granted the NHAI time till August 30 and deferred the hearing till then.

The court earlier had directed NHAI to meet the developer to resolve the dispute and reach an amicable solution.

The court was hearing DGSCL’s plea to restrain NHAI from taking any coercive action against it, including termination of the contract to operate the expressway.

The NHAI had alleged that DGSCL had committed fraud in the form of re-financing the project without getting its approval.

The highway authority, while ordering termination of its deal with the private firm, had accused it of failing to improve services at the 32-lane toll plaza.

The DGSCL had approached the court after the NHAI had issued a preliminary notice to it on December 7 last year for cancelling the contract.

The High Court had stayed the implementation of the NHAI notice.

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