Specific Relief Amendment Bill: Infra experts give a thumbs up

The government today tabled Specific Relief Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha. Many relief measures for infra sector are proposed in the bill.

The Bill says:

• Court won't grant injunction for infra contracts if it leads to delay in project
• DEA Nodal Agency to specify categories of infra projects where injunction can't be granted
• Injunction can't be granted for transport, energy, communication and social infra
• Special Courts proposed to try suits related to contracts of infra companies
• Special Courts to dispose infra related suits within 12 months
• Proposed to do away w/wide discretion of courts to grant specific performance
• Specific performance with respect to contracts made a general rule than exception
• Provides for substituted performance of contracts
• Third parties to be allowed as a substitute if contract is broken

We currently do not have any projects languishing for the reasons mentioned but would further like to study the specifics of this bill, said Mhaiskar.

Welcoming the move, Patel said it was a much awaited one and will help the government keep costs of the projects at predetermined number.

However, for Sadbhav per se, Patel said they did not have these kind of projects but going forward if they took up these kind of projects, it would help speed up the project with risk of projects getting halted being minimum.