Mohali gets new judicial complex, but construction work on it far from over

Akash Ghai

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Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 23

Though the block 1 of the new Judicial Courts Complex, housing 14 courtrooms, is said to be ready, public and advocates are bound to face inconvenience on the new premises due to unavailability of basic infrastructure there.

The complex, located at Sector 76 here, was inaugurated today. A total of 11 courts of Mohali will start functioning from January 2 on the new premises.

A visit to the complex revealed that the construction work of the main entrance for the public and advocates was still on. Though there is a provision of public parking for around 150 vehicles on the premises, it is yet to be constructed.

“The visitors and advocates have to park their vehicles outside the premises for the time being,” admitted an official at the site. The advocate chambers are yet to come up.

“We have earmarked a site for advocate chambers and our job is complete in this connection. The delay in constructing chambers is on the part of the advocates only,” said GS Sangha, Executive Engineer of the PWD (B&R).

The official, however, added that they had made provision for constructing nearly 130 advocate chambers at the public entrance.

Showing concern over the earmarked temporary site, a number of advocates said, “How can we set up our chambers at the place, which is very close to the construction site of the Advocates Block”? “Moreover, lack of basic facilities, including arrangements for drinking water and washrooms at the site of the makeshift advocate chambers is also a matter of concern,” lamented the advocates.

A random visit to the site revealed that no ramp was made for the physically challenged persons. On the partially-constructed premises, the canteen and essential shops like photostat machine shop and ATM counters are yet to be constructed.

“It will take at least three months to complete the sites of canteen and shops,” said Rakesh Goyal, the project manager, whose services have been hired to construct the premises.

He added that under the plan, a shopping area, housing at least four shops, a post office, a bank and ATM counters, would come up later. Goyal admitted that only 40 per cent of the project work had been completed so far.

As the area is not connected with the facility of public transport, the visitors are bound to face a lot of inconvenience in reaching there.

“The authorities should have considered this aspect (public transport) and come up with a solution before shifting the courts here,” said an advocate, practicing at Mohali district courts.