Consider giving 15 acres for expansion, High Court tells Chandigarh Administration

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, April 4

Nearly three months after the Chandigarh Administration recommended the allotment of 8.5 acres for the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s horizontal expansion, a Division Bench has made it clear that 15 acres at Sarangpur village was required to be considered.

The Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Judge Lapita Banerji observed that the Administration was proposing to offer a plot measuring nearly 8.5 acres. But the assessment made on the earlier occasion, “preferably of 14.86 acres”, was correct.

Elaborating, the Bench observed the space would also be required for the offices of Advocates-General of Punjab and Haryana as well as they were also facing immense space crunch following the storage of judicial record required to be maintained. The issue could be redressed by giving them some space out of the area liable to be identified or allotted.

“In the considered opinion of this court, the Administration should consider giving a chunk of 15 acres at Sarangpur village from the reserved area of 15.36 acres, which is contiguous to the plot of 8.5 acres at the site identified as per the layout plan appended.

The same is lying vacant since the area at Sarangpur is under the nascent stage of development,” the Bench observed.

It also took note of assurance by the senior counsel appearing for the Administration that the allotment might be possible at the local level without referring the matter to the Centre. The Bench also directed the Administration to examine whether the ground coverage area and the FAR could be relaxed to enhance the usage of the proposed plot for the optimum utilisation.

“The proposal is very essential for effective functioning of this court and we are sanguine that the Administration shall take up the proposal earnestly in the manner in which the affidavit has already been filed…,” the Bench added.

The directions came on a plea seeking directions to the Centre, UT and other respondents to expedite the high court’s “holistic development plan” for reducing the load on the existing building.

One of the petitions in the matter was filed in public interest by Vinod Dhatterwal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Employees Association, and other petitioners.