Panchkula court extends stay on sealing liquor vends till July 6

Panchkula, June 20

A local court has extended the status quo on the MC’s notice to seal liquor vends in the town over land rent dues till July 6.

Applicant’s counsel Sameer Sethi said the Panchkula Municipal Corporation and the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) have sought time to file their replies. “The court has now extended the previous order of status quo till the next hearing on July 6,” he said.

Recently, the Panchkula MC Commissioner issued notices to 15 such liquor vends in the town. Jubilee Beverages Limited had approached a local court against the MC notice. The petitioner had maintained that it ran 11 liquor vends in Panchkula under tin sheds on open land and had already paid advance rent to HUDA.

Recently, MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal issued notices to liquor shops near Mansa Devi Complex, Sector 3, near Bella Vista hotel in Sector 5, near Majri Chowk, at Bhainsa Tibba in Sector 5-B of the MDC, near Suraj Theatre in Sector 1 and others, claiming that they were flourishing on the MC land without paying rent.

On the other hand, HUDA officials maintained that the MC had not been given the “ownership of sectors” and had only been given the charge of maintaining roads, parking lots and streetlights, while the government authority concerned here is only the Estate Office.

Whereas, the MC Commissioner had even written to the HUDA Administrator, saying that most of the sectors in Panchkula have been transferred to the civic body and as such, all common land is deemed to be the MC land. The MC has a right to the use this land for itself or may lease it to any private person on payment basis.

It was also mentioned that in case HUDA has leased out the MC land inadvertently, it may be cancelled and the lease money refunded to the contractor after intimation to the civic body. —TNS