'NHAI, DGSCL close to settle row on Delhi-Gurgaon highway'

"A meeting had taken place yesterday between the NHAI Committee and the concessionaire, Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL) and the issues between the two parties have been settled. However, internal approvals are required for formalising the settlement," the counsel for the two parties told Justice S Muralidhar and sought more time to finalise the settlement.

Justice Muralidhra granted time till August 6 to formalise the settlement and deferred the hearing till then.

The court earlier had directed NHAI to meet the developer to resolve the dispute and reach an amicable solution.

The court was hearing DGSCL's plea for a direction to restrain NHAI from taking any coercive action against it, including termination of the contract to operate the expressway.

According to DGSCL, the relations between the two parties had turned sour after the NHAI accused DGSCL of fraud in the form of re-financing the project without getting its approval.

The highways authority, while ordering termination of its deal with the private firm, had accused it of failing to improve services at the 32-lane toll plaza.

The DGSCL had approached the court after the NHAI had issued a preliminary notice to it on December 7 last year for cancelling the contract.