JUDGMENT :

1. The Arbitration Petition fled by the Petitioner under Section 29-A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (for short, “The Act”), seeks extension of time for completion of the pending arbitration proceedings, by a period of six months.

The brief background facts reveal that the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns Scheme (UIDSSMT) Mission was launched by the Government of India in the year 2012. Under the said scheme, the Municipal Corporation of city of Ichalkarnji, proposed construction of two decentralized Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) of 10+8 MLD capacity alongwith ancillary infrastructure such as pumping stations etc. The funding was sanctioned by the Government of India and the State of Maharashtra on the basis of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the Respondents. Pursuant to the tender foated by the Respondent on 01/03/2021, the Petitioner’s bid, being the lowest one, was accepted and the Work Order was issued in it’s favour. By the year 2019, the Petitioner claimed to have completed 55% of work and the delay is attributed to the Respondent, as the possession of the land was handed over belatedly alongwith the dra