Guwahati, May 17 /–/ The Gauhati High Court has closed a PIL challenging the non-completion of augmentation of the Greater Diphu Water Supply Scheme in Karbi Anglong district, observing that the Assam government had approached the Centre regarding funds for implementation of the water supply scheme and that the matter was under consideration with the central government.
The petitioner had filed the PIL essentially raising a grievance that the Assam government was not taking effective steps for implementation of the water supply scheme.
“Taking into consideration the fact that the state government has already approached the central government for the purpose of providing funds for implementation of the water supply scheme and the matter is now under active consideration with the central government, we deem it appropriate to close this PIL petition with the expectation that the central government will soon release the funds for the purpose of implementation of the scheme and on availability of the said funds, the state government shall implement the scheme without further delay,” a division bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam observed.
Notably, the additional advocate general, Assam had informed the court that a communication dated November 30, 2023 was sent by the additional director (PP), transformation and development department of the state government, to the deputy secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) “for the purpose of supplying some information so that the central government may release appropriate fund for the purpose of implementation of the water supply scheme.”
The standing counsel appearing for the public health engineering department, Assam government, submitted that the matter was under active consideration with the central government and that the state was hopeful that necessary funds would be provided for the purpose of implementation of the water supply scheme very soon.
However, the counsel, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that he had not been able to make any contact with the petitioner since long and, therefore, pleaded no instructions in the matter.