Parking woes at district courts

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23

A lack of basic facilities like a proper parking lot and a public canteen makes the stay of litigants at the Chandigarh District Courts a miserable experience. The problem of parking is a major issue and it compounds on a rainy day. 

 While visitors’ vehicles are not allowed inside the complex, they park their vehicles on a piece of land adjoining the courts. The land has not even been levelled, often resulting in a damage to vehicles.

As the parking space is occupied by vehicles, visitors are forced to park their cars behind the courts complex on the road dividing Sectors 42 and 43. This not only leads to traffic hassles but also to the violation of the parking rules as cars are often parked on road berms, green belt and even on the road. 

President of the Bar Association Ravinder Bassi said they had been regularly asking the Administration to work towards it. “The proposal of a multi-level parking is yet to see the light of the day and our request to allow us to maintain the parking lot by the paid parking system has also not been heeded to”.   

No canteen for visitors

There is no proper canteen for around 10,000  people visiting the complex daily. There are small outlets in the lawyer’s chamber area but no indoor seating arrangements. This is a major problem for the visitors who are often seen sitting on the floor in the open area between the courts and the lawyer’s chambers. 

Washrooms lie locked

There are separate washrooms for specially-abled on each floor of the courts complex. However, they are opened randomly and the ones on the upper floors remain locked. The washrooms in the courts complex are maintained by the Administration.   

Creche facility not  for advocates

There is a crèche in the courts complex, which is available for children of judges and the court staff only. The facility is not given to the advocates. Bar Association president Ravinder Bassi said, “There are 3,000 members of the Bar Association, of which 600 are women. Why this discrimination with us only?”