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SC orders CBI probe into Taj corridor bungling
S.S. Negi
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 16
Coming down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh Government and the National Project Construction Corporation (NPCC), a Central agency, for continuing the work on the controversial Rs 175-crore Taj Heritage Corridor project on the Yamuna bed in Agra in violation of its directive to stop it, the Supreme Court today ordered a CBI inquiry into the bungling and directed the agency to submit its report within two months.

Observing that gross “irregularities and illegality” had been noticed in giving “hasty” clearance to the project, a Bench comprising Mr Justice M.B. Shah and Mr Justice A.R. Lakshmanan asked the CBI Director to take immediate steps to constitute a team of senior officers to investigate it.

The court said the CBI would take into consideration various orders passed by the court since December, 1997, and the findings of a committee, appointed by it to monitor the implementation of its orders regarding the protection of the ecology and environment around Taj Mahal.

Expressing anguish over the violations, the court said since it was a mystery that who cleared the project for which the UP Government had released Rs 17 crore, it had to be found who passed the orders for payment of the money as there was something wrong in it.

The court was also informed that bills worth Rs 45 crore for the project were pending with the UP Government.

Directing the CBI to submit an interim report on the investigation within four weeks, the court fixed next hearing of the matter on August 21.

Severely criticising the UP Government for allowing the work to continue despite a commitment given to the court on May 1 to stop it, the Bench also pulled up the NPCC for putting up a board at the project site which indicated that the construction was being carried out after getting clearance from the Supreme Court.

“It is painful to know that instead of creating something new which could be classified as national or world heritage, the government/certain persons are trying to destroy and endanger the existing ones hastely by irregular and illegal activities,” the Bench observed.