Koppal: On Dec 19, the Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court rejected a Rs 3,000 crore compensation claim by Hyderabad-based BV Reddy and Company, which was contracted to construct a suspension bridge near Talawara Ghatta in the Gangavati taluk, offering significant relief to the state govt.The 226-metre-long suspension bridge was planned to boost tourism in Hampi and Anegundi, both Unesco World Heritage sites. Work began in 1997 but was halted in 1999 after Unesco expressed concern that construction would harm the heritage environment of Hampi.Although Unesco granted permission in 2005, the bridge collapsed on January 22, 2009, during concrete pouring, killing eight workers and injuring 41.BV Reddy and Company, which won a Rs 7 crore contract, filed a compensation claim against the govt in the Gangavathi court in 2009, arguing that it suffered a financial loss due to the PWD’s failure.The case moved through the Gangavathi taluk court, the Ballari commercial court, and the Koppal district court, where in 2021, the Koppal court ordered the govt to pay Rs 3,000 crore.Alarmed by the order, PWD officials appealed to the Dharwad high court. A two-member bench comprising justices Geeta Kadaba Bharataraj Shetty and SG Pandit quashed the Koppal court verdict and directed the govt to pay Rs 5.6 crore, and interest, to the contractor.After 16 years, the state govt is heaving a sigh of relief. According to sources, officials of the departments concerned did not appear in earlier hearings or submit the appropriate documents, leading to the adverse order.
