The Andhra Pradesh government served a legal notice to Maharashtra seeking dismantling of five of the 14 crest-gates installed on the Babli project “in utter disregard of the Supreme Court injunction order.”
If this was not done within three days, the State government will file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against the Maharashtra government, Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah announced here on Saturday.
In its order, the Supreme Court held: “Though Maharashtra may go ahead with the construction of Babli, it shall not install the gates until further orders. As Maharashtra is permitted to proceed with the construction of Babli at its own risk, it will not claim any equity by reason of the construction being carried on by it.”
The legal notice has been served not only to four Maharashtra officials cited as respondents — its Chief Secretary (Johny Joseph), Secretary, Water Resources Development (V.V. Gaikwad), chief engineer, Water Resources Development, Aurangabad (B.N. Kandarphale), superintending engineer, Nanded Irrigation Circle ( R.K. Netturkar) —but also to the CMD of the construction firm, Soma Constructions (Rajendra Prasad).
The notice asked the respondents to dismantle the five gates and desist from erecting any more and intimate the action taken to the Andhra Pradesh government within three days or face contempt petition.
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