UT Administration caught making ‘false’ statement

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25

The Chandigarh Administration is in trouble. It has been caught making a false statement on pendency of a proposal before the Chief Architect for setting up a 40-bedded de-addiction-cum-rehabilitation centre in Sector 32. The Administration’s Department of Architecture too has been rapped by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for taking the matter “very casually”.

The Administration, on the previous date of hearing, had claimed that a proposal for the centre had been forwarded to the quarters concerned. The counsel for the UT Administration had added that the proposal had been approved by the Health Secretary, but was pending before the UT Chief Architect for identification of a suitable site.

Taking a note of the assertion, Justice Rajive Bhalla had directed the issuance of notice to the Chief Architect “to apprise the court whether any site has been identified as proposed by the GMCH-32, Chandigarh”.

As the matter came up for resumed hearing, Justice Bhalla observed that the Department of Architecture appeared to be taking the matter “very casually” as the Chief Architect had gone to Delhi and the Senior Town Planner was stated to be busy in an administrative meeting.

Visibly miffed, Justice Bhalla asserted: “The court is surprised at this conduct. More often than not architectural matters lead to unnecessary delays. At this stage, counsel for the Union Territory of Chandigarh states that the file has been received in the office of the Chief Architect in the morning. It appears that the statement made on the last date of hearing that the proposal is pending before the Chief Architect, Union Territory, was false. A detailed affidavit be filed, explaining the statement made on the last date of hearing”.
Before parting with the orders, Justice Bhalla directed the Chief Architect to identify a suitable site and apprise the court of the decision so taken. The Administration was also asked to file another affidavit on grant for the Sector 18 de-addiction centre.
The direction came after the Court Commissioners stated that the centre had not received the entire grant for the last financial year and its contract too had not been renewed.
The matter was brought to the HC’s notice in 2008, after a petition was filed by Talwinder Pal Singh and another petitioner. Taking up the matter then, Justice Bhalla had asserted that the State of Punjab was “awash” with narcotics.
In December 2012, Justice Bhalla had added: “It appears that Punjab and Haryana, are paying lip services to the cause of de-addiction and making statements in the press almost on a daily basis but doing nothing in the matter. It further appears that officers of the department concerned are making an effort but officers of other departments, who are responsible for providing finance and infrastructure in the matter are not cooperating….”