The Arbitral Court of SAROD has ruled in favour of M/s Neeraj Cement Structural Ltd.–Manipur Tribal Development Corporation Ltd. (JV) in a protracted dispute with the Union of India through the Ministry of External Affairs, bringing relief to the Manipur-based partner.
The tribunal, constituted on the directive of the Supreme Court of India, comprised Justice (Retd.) Pradeep Nandrajog (Presiding Arbitrator), Vishwapati Trivedi (Retd. IAS), and Justice (Retd.) R. Banumathi.
In its order dated September 2, 2025, the tribunal awarded the joint venture the invested amount along with profit and interest accrued over 6.7 years, a significant reprieve for the financially strained Manipur Tribal Development Corporation (MTDC).
The case stemmed from an EPC Agreement of November 8, 2017, for the reconstruction of 69 steel bridges on the Tamu–Kyigone–Kalewa Road, part of the strategic India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway. The project, intended to boost connectivity with Southeast Asia, became mired in delays, disputes, and technical challenges, including GPS survey verification and restricted site access.
The tribunal upheld the government’s termination of the contract and refusal to return the encashed Performance Bank Guarantee. However, it also recognized dues payable to the contractor. After adjusting for government counter-claims, the tribunal fixed the net entitlement, to be paid within four months, with 7.5% simple annual interest applying from January 31, 2026, in case of delay.