D’sala as second capital under judicial scanner

Vijay Arora

Legal correspondent

Shimla, March 27

The decision of the state government declaring Dharamsala as second capital of the state has come under judicial scanner. A local advocate has moved the HP High Court challenging the decision.

The Chief Secretary of the state had issued notification on March 3, notifying Dharamsala as second capital of the state.

Today the matter was listed before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan.

After hearing the matter the bench asked the counsel for the petitioner to justify the maintainability of the petition on the next date of hearing and listed the matter for the same on April 18.

The court passed this order on a petition filed by local advocate challenging the notification issued by the state government on March 3 declaring Dharamsala as second capital of the state on the ground that the decision of the state is not good for the financial position of the state.

It was further alleged in the petition that the state is already running in deficit and there is already the debt burden of over Rs 45,000 crore on the state government. By opening the second capital at Dharamsala, the debt burden will multiply manifolds. It further alleged that the taxpayers money cannot be utilized in such an arbitrary manner.

It was further alleged that a new capital would require a huge infrastructure, besides shuttling of ministers, secretaries and officials between the Shimla and Dharamsala. This would also require huge expenditure.

The petitioner further alleged that the action of the state functionaries is contrary to the doctrine of good governance and constitutional trust of the people of the state. The petitioner urged the court to quash the notification issued by the Chief Secretary in this regard.