Palarivattom flyover load test: Plea in HC seeking appointment of expert agency.

Source – newindianexpress.com

KOCHI:  RDS Project Ltd, which constructed Palarivattom flyover, on Wednesday approached the Kerala High Court seeking to appoint an expert agency to conduct a load test on the flyover.

The High Court had earlier directed the state government to conduct the load test on the flyover through a qualified agency in three months and file a statement after conducting the test along with the report of the load test. It had ordered contractor RDS Project Ltd to bear the entire expense for the load test. The petitioner contended that more than one-and-a-half month had passed since the High Court directed the government to conduct a load test through an expert agency. 

The government is yet to get the load test conducted. The flyover is remaining closed. With the government sleeping over the court directive, people are suffering. Therefore, it is necessary that the High Court issue a directive to appoint an expert agency to conduct the load test whose cost will be borne by the petitioner. State attorney K V Sohan opposed the plea of the company and informed that a special leave petition filed by the government against the High Court judgment was pending before the Supreme Court. He also submitted that the two-month deadline given by the Bench to implement its directive would end only on February 20. There was sufficient time to conduct the load test, he stated. 

Though counsel for RDS Project Ltd sought an interim directive to appoint an agency, the court declined it. The court observed that, as the Supreme Court had not stayed the High Court verdict, it could issue a directive to engage an expert agency. However, the State Attorney took objection to the suggestion and contended that it had time till February 20 to implement the court directive. Therefore, there was no need for issuing an interim directive, observed the court.