E-Paper
Human Rights panel raps officials over poor state of infra in Panchkula
The Commission was hearing two complaints related to civic issues in the city; during the resumed hearing, complainant Deepanshu Bansal opposed the report submitted by the executive engineer of Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA)
The Haryana Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued strict directions to officials expressing serious concern over the poor condition of infrastructure and delays in execution of works in Panchkula.
The Commission was hearing two complaints related to civic issues in the city. During the resumed hearing, complainant Deepanshu Bansal opposed the report submitted by the executive engineer of Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA). He alleged that the road adjoining Sector 15/Industrial Area Phase-II has not been constructed in accordance with prescribed engineering standards and is riddled with potholes. He further submitted that instead of proper construction involving levelling, layering and use of machinery, authorities had merely dumped loose sand, stones and other raw materials to make the road temporarily usable.
A report by Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) stated that water supply and sewerage systems in Sectors 1–21 and Industrial Areas Phase I and II have been developed and maintained, and that the 57 MLD sewage treatment plant in Sector 20 is being upgraded. The Panchkula municipal corporation (MC) said re-carpeting of dividing roads in Sectors 10/15 and 15/16 has been completed, with the work under Defect Liability Period and a 5% penalty imposed on the contractor.
Meanwhile, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) informed that a ₹22.21 crore road upgradation tender for the Industrial Area is under evaluation, with an estimated completion time of 18 months, which the complainant opposed as unreasonable.
The Commission criticised the concerned departments for their casual and indifferent approach towards issues of public importance, rejecting attempts to justify delays through technicalities and procedural grounds. It termed the 5% penalty imposed on the contractor as inadequate and ineffective, highlighting failure to enforce contractual obligations.
Observing that the poor state of infrastructure in Panchkula undermines administrative credibility and affects residents’ rights, the Commission pointed to serious lapses, lack of monitoring, and poor coordination among departments.
The additional chief secretary, industries, Haryana, was directed to personally ensure expeditious finalisation of the tender process. The MC commissioner was asked to immediately undertake road repairs and make them fully motorable within a fixed timeframe without waiting for procedural formalities.
The chief administrator, PMDA, has been directed to submit a status report on whether the road near Sector-15/Industrial Area Phase-II has been properly constructed as per norms or is only temporarily functional. The matter will now be heard in the first week of May.
