Non-compliance of order: HC order to suspend XEN Dharmpur
Himachal Pradesh high court has taken serious note of noncompliance with its orders by the Executive Engineer, H.P. PWD Division, Dharampur, District Mandi. The Court has directed the Engineer-in-Chief to suspend him forthwith.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, passed this order on a petition filed one Shashikant.
As per the petitioner a retaining wall as well as Industrial Training Institute (ITI) is being constructed by the H.P. 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 was an imminent danger to his house due to illegal muck dumping.
After heavy rainfall on 24.06.2023, 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. During the last date of hearing on 18.07.2023, the Executive Engineer, Dharampur, who was present in the Court, assured the Court that all measures would 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 and 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.
