At Jaipur’s OTS Chowk, the proposed hanging bridge, island development and underground art gallery project has been restored to its original contractual framework after the Rajasthan High Court struck down the Bhajanlal government’s order and cancelled the move to prepare a fresh DPR.
The court has also quashed the directive to prepare a fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR), instructing the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) to continue the project under the original contract and ensure its timely completion.
Justice Sameer Jain passed the order while hearing a petition filed by JCL Infra Private Limited. The High Court, which had reserved its verdict on April 23, 2026, observed in its ruling delivered on Wednesday (June 3) that the state must act in a fair and rational manner and cannot evade contractual obligations for political reasons.
The court also directed the Chief Secretary to initiate an inquiry and take action against guilty JDA officials within two months.
The project was originally part of the 2021–22 state budget, under which the Gehlot government proposed making OTS Chowk signal-free along with several beautification works. Following the announcement, JDA floated tenders after preparing the DPR, and the contract was awarded to JCL Infra. An agreement was signed on December 27, 2022, mandating that work begin on January 6, 2023 and be completed by January 5, 2024.
However, after the change in government in 2024, JDA issued an order on April 24, 2024, cancelling the contract citing contractual terms. Later, the company’s bank guarantee was returned on December 16, 2024, and a fresh tender for DPR preparation was floated on April 3, 2025.
Challenging these decisions, the company argued that the original contract was valid and was arbitrarily terminated despite the firm having already prepared drawings, designs, and mobilised resources, including procurement of steel. It also claimed delays were caused due to lack of permissions and land availability at the site.
The company further alleged that issuing a fresh DPR tender amounted to cancelling an already approved project and valid contract without justification.
During the hearing, the High Court observed that the project was delayed due to objections from MNIT-OTS, site-related hurdles and administrative issues, and not due to any fault of the company. The court criticised JDA’s stand, terming it a “fabricated story” and holding that the abrupt cancellation of the contract and issuance of a fresh DPR tender was arbitrary, unjustified and malicious in law.
