Installation of LED floodlights: Allahabad HC seeks govt reply on firm’s pending dues

M/s Ganesh Enterprises had installed LED floodlights in Adarsh Nagar panchayat area of U.P.’s Ballia district in 2019

The Allahabad high court has asked the state government to file an affidavit and explain why it had not paid M/s Ganesh Enterprises its dues till date for the work done for installation of LED floodlights in Adarsh Nagar panchayat area of Ballia district in 2019.

A view of the Allahabad high court. (Ht file)

Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Dinesh Pathak passed the order on May 31, 2022 on a petition filed by M/s Ganesh Enterprises—a partnership firm which was given the tender of installation of lights in the panchayat area.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Parvez Iqbal Ansari argued that bills of ₹94 lakh were submitted by the petitioner in 2019 and ₹37 lakh were received by the firm as the first instalment.

However, the remaining amount was not paid on the ground that the amount had not been received by the authorities concerned from the State Finance Commission and once the Commission released the amount, same would be paid to the firm. “Till date, the firm has not received its dues and is facing financial crisis due to it,” Ansari argued.

The court after hearing the concerned parties fixed July 14 as the next date of hearing in the case and observed, “We call upon respondent no.1 (state government) to file an affidavit of a responsible officer disclosing the reasons why the remaining amount is not being paid when the amount due is admitted.”