Himachal HC directs Engineer-in-Chief to suspend Executive Engineer for non-compliance with its order
Aug 03, 2023
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 3 : The High Court of Himachal Pradesh has taken serious note of the non-compliance with its orders by the Executive Engineer, PWD Division, Dharampur, District Mandi. The Court has directed the Engineer-in-Chief to suspend him immediately after passing an order on a petition filed by a resident.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, passed this order on a petition filed by a local resident, Shashikant.
As per the petitioner a retaining wall as well as Industrial Training Institute (ITI) is being constructed by the PWD, at village Sarkan, Tehsil Dharampur, District Mandi and the construction work is being executed by the Unipro Techno Infrastructure Pvt Ltd.
It has been alleged that said construction company has dumped muck near the house of the petitioner. The matter was brought to the notice of authorities time and again that there is imminent danger to his house due to illegal muck dumping.
After heavy rainfall on June 24, the retaining wall of the under-construction ITI building collapsed and has settled just a few feet above the house of the petitioner and may fall on his house at any time. The petitioner ran from pillar to post but authorities have not taken any concrete action in the matter.
During the last date of the hearing on July 18, the Executive Engineer, Dharampur, who was present in the Court, assured the Court that all measures will be taken to prevent damage to the petitioner's house at the earliest.
But during the course of the hearing, the Court found that no concrete steps have been taken by the Executive Engineer, Dharampur, to protect the house of the petitioner between the last date of the hearing till date.
The Court has directed the Engineer-in-Chief, HP PWD, to place the Executive Engineer, Dharampur, under suspension forthwith, for negligence in not taking steps when there is imminent danger to the petitioner’s house from falling rocks in view of continuing rain.
The Engineer-in-Chief has been further directed to immediately authorize an appropriate Officer to take immediate steps to protect the house of the petitioner and prevent damage to it.
