Jaipur: Resolving a long-standing dispute, a division bench of the Rajasthan high court Monday ordered the planned widening to 100 feet of the road connecting Jaipur Airport to Haldighati Circle to proceed according to the original 2011 alignment plan without further delays due to financial constraints or legal challenges.A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sanjeet Purohit instructed the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) to carry out the widening in strict accordance with the project’s 2011 sector plan, disregarding any changes introduced in a later 2018 revision.The court clarified that any existing stays related to the project issued by other courts or tribunals will be subsumed under this ruling to prevent any further legal obstruction.The court further stated that no court or tribunal is permitted to approve claims that could hinder the project. “Authorities can also take police assistance, if required, to facilitate uninterrupted construction of the road”, the order read.In earlier proceedings, the High Court had summoned the chief secretary of the Urban Development and Housing Department (UDH) to explain the govt’s roadmap for the project after disagreements between the JDA and the Housing Board stalled progress.“The cost of constructing the portion of the road falling under the jurisdiction of the Rajasthan Housing Board and Jaipur Municipal Corporation should be recovered from these respective bodies. If they fail to meet the expenses, the state govt will cover the costs to ensure the project’s completion”, the order said.The case was brought before the court by the Ajay Marg Nirman Sangharsh Samiti and other petitioners, who raised concerns about delays in the project. They claimed that the road-widening project, severely affected by encroachments on govt land, was key to unlocking development in the area.Advocate Prahlad Sharma, representing homeowners affected by a 2018 alignment change, would lead to the demolition of long-standing residences and create tension between development plans and citizen rights.
