Patna, May 9: The high court today issued a notice to contractors building Jai Prakash Narayan All India Institute of Medical Sciences (JPNAIIMS) at Phulwarisharif, questioning why they should not be removed from the project for tardy progress.

Expressing displeasure over the slow pace of construction of JPNAIIMS, a bench of Justice Prakash Chandra Verma and Justice Aditya Kumar Trivedi warned that 10 per cent penalty would be imposed on the contractors if the work was not completed within the stipulated time. The hospital is scheduled to open on October 2 this year.

The bench directed the Centre to give an undertaking that the financial adviser it appointed should not be removed till the high court order. Regarding arranging for the JPNAIIMS quarter, the bench directed that the matter be presented before the Bihar chief minister.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by the council for protection of public rights and welfare, which sought expeditious completion of the project. It sought a progress report on the construction work till May 16.