Give details of CVO’s duties in 10 days: HC to Chandigarh

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 18

Advertisement

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given the Chandigarh Administration and its functionaries 10 days to come up with the details of the duties enjoined upon the chief vigilance officer (CVO).

The counsel appearing for the Administration and other respondents has also been asked to seek instructions from the authorities concerned whether the duties were being discharged on a regular basis and that too promptly.

The Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh passed the directions after the UT counsel prayed for additional time to file a reply to the queries earlier raised by the Court. The Bench also fixed the matter for the March last week for further hearing.

Next hearing

• The Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court passed the directions after the UT counsel prayed for additional time to file a reply to the queries earlier raised by the court. The Bench also fixed March last week for further hearing in the matter.

The UT Administration has already been asked to apprise the Bench of whether a regular chief vigilance officer was functioning in Chandigarh. It was also asked to come up with the details of a vigilance inquiry, if pending, on a representation filed by the Marble Arch Residents’ Welfare Association.

The Bench was earlier told that that the site for M/s Uppal Housing Private Limited was auctioned for approximately Rs108 crore. In the brochure issued thereafter, it was promised that 168 flats of three/four bedrooms would be constructed in nine towers.

Believing the representation, the petitioner-association purchased the flats. Possession was, thereafter, handed over to the allottees and sale deeds were also executed. As the matter was being dealt with by the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, the petitioner-association was confident that the civic body would act in a transparent manner. The petitioner’s counsel added M/s Uppal Housing Private Limited did not undertake any activity for raising flats for the economical weaker sections (EWS) category. In March 2016, however, they decided to raise another tower for the construction of flats for the EWS. Even permission for this construction was granted by the authority concerned. Thereafter, petitioner-association made representations and vigilance inquiry was also instituted. However, the petitioner-association had no inkling about the fate of the vigilance inquiry.

The Bench, on a previous date of hearing, had asserted: “The Court also be apprised of whether a regular chief vigilance officer is functioning in Chandigarh. In case assertion of the petitioner as regards pendency of vigilance inquiry is correct, court may be told whether any progress has been made in the inquiry. The authority concerned shall be at liberty to file an affidavit in this regard”.