Govind Tekale
₹34.93 lakh road torn up months after completion: Company says approval exists, municipality disagrees
In Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, a newly constructed municipal road has become the center of a legal dispute involving the gas distribution company. The interlocking road was completed about six months ago in the Wajidpur Tiraha area near Chandmari, constructed under a government urban development scheme run by the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA). The project cost was ₹34.93 lakh.
In August 2026, workers from Indian Oil-Adani Gas Private Limited (IOAGPL) began digging up sections of this same road to lay underground gas distribution pipelines. The municipal authority claims this excavation was done without proper authorization.
DUDA’s Junior Engineer, Sacchidanand Maurya, filed a formal complaint at Line Bazar Police Station against IOAGPL. According to the complaint, the gas company dug up the interlocking road without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the municipal authority.
The complaint also states that the road damage was substantial. Municipal engineers assessed the direct harm to the newly laid interlocking tiles at approximately ₹1 lakh, as reported by local damage assessments.
This distinction is important: The original road construction cost ₹34.93 lakh. The newly assessed damage from the digging is approximately ₹1 lakh—these are separate figures, not the same amount.
According to IOAGPL Deputy Manager Ram Jaiswal, the gas company had already obtained city-wide approvals for its broader pipeline network expansion project. The approvals covered the general corridor through which pipelines would pass.
However, Jaiswal acknowledged a procedural gap: while the larger project had been authorized, the company did not send advance notice to DUDA about the specific day-to-day work involving road cuts for individual consumer gas connections. According to Jaiswal, the company mobilized repair crews to restore the interlocking road to its original condition.
In this case, municipal rules required formal written authorization for utility road cuts. The NOC (No Objection Certificate) process is the standard administrative method for companies to notify the municipality before excavating public roads and for the municipality to confirm coordination with other infrastructure.
Police registered an FIR (First Information Report) against IOAGPL based on the municipal complaint. This FIR formally initiates a police investigation. As of late August 2026, the investigation is proceeding through standard legal channels.
The gas company has committed to restoring the road. The dispute centers on whether proper authorization procedures were followed before the excavation began.
If you encounter unexpected road digging in your area: Check with your District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) or municipal office about whether permits were issued. Report unannounced digging or damaged roads to DUDA or your local police station. Keep a safe distance from open trenches and gas pipeline work sites.
The municipal agency DUDA reported damage to a ₹34.93 lakh interlocking road in Jaunpur caused by pipeline excavation. This led to an FIR filed at Line Bazar Police Station. The core dispute involves whether IOAGPL obtained proper authorization before cutting into the recently completed municipal road, with the company stating city-wide approvals existed but acknowledging it did not provide advance notice for specific road cuts. IOAGPL committed to restoring the site.
