Court orders stay on sealing of liquor vends in P’kula till June 20

Rajinder S Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 15

A local court here on Friday ordered status quo till the next date of hearing on the MC’s notice to seal liquor vends in the town over land rent dues.

Recently, the Panchkula MC Commissioner had issued notices to 15 such liquor vends in the town. Jubilee Beverages Limited, through its counsel Sameer Sethi, had approached a local court against the MC notice.

Giving details about the court proceedings, advocate Sameer Sethi said they had moved court against the MC notices and now, the court has ordered the parties to maintain a status quo till the next date of hearing, June 20.

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 hotel Bella Vista 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 street lights there while the dealing authority of the government land here is the Estate Office only.

Whereas the MC Commissioner had even written to HUDA Administrator, saying that most of the sectors of Panchkula have been transferred to the civic body and as such, all common land is deemed to be MC land. The MC has a right to the use of 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 lease money refunded to the contractor after intimation to the civic body.

Had paid in advance to HUDA: Petitioner

Jubilee Beverages Limited had approached a local court against the MC notice about sealing its vends for not paying land rent. 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.