Rapped by High Court, Haryana grants 'CLU' to IOCL

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, August 2

Nearly three years after the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) asserted that every citizen was perturbed and disturbed due to arbitrary and whimsical attitude of the bureaucrats and huge corruption, the ‘competent authority’ has granted “CLU” to petitioner- Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), redressing in the process its grievance.

The High Court in the matter had asserted that the case was a glaring example of arbitrariness and high-handedness of the state machinery. It was an open secret that there was no inter-se coordination between different departments of the government. For this reason, every citizen had to run from pillar to post to get grievance redressed.

“It is not understandable as to where the nation is being driven by bureaucracy. Due to its inaction, corruption or mis-action, there is chaos everywhere. Every citizen is perturbed and disturbed due to arbitrary and whimsical attitude of the bureaucrats, besides huge corruption. There is a hue and cry everywhere. None is willing to hear the genuine grievance of the citizens,” the Bench had asserted.

The High Court, during the course of hearing, was told that the petitioner-corporation, taking land on lease for setting up a retail outlet, obtained a ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) from a district magistrate, but a condition was imposed for obtaining another NOC from the forest department, which was obtained in March 2019.

The Bench was told that the district magistrate, vide letter dated October 4, 2019, cancelled the retail outlet NOC, citing non-availability of the forest NOC despite its submission.

Regardless of the reminders to recall the cancellation order, the district magistrate did not respond, following which the petitioner-company challenged the order before a divisional commissioner. He, in turn, set aside the order with a condition that the petitioner would further obtain NOC from local urban body department within a month.

Consequently, the petitioner-company applied for the NOC. In the meantime, the NOC issued initially by the district magistrate expired.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the state counsel told Justice Jagmohan Bansal’s Bench that the competent authority had granted the CLU to the petitioner and its grievance stood redressed. He further submitted that the petitioner had to comply with certain conditions imposed vide order dated July 4 passed by the Director, Urban Local Bodies Haryana, Panchkula.

“The counsel for the petitioner fairly concedes that the present petition has rendered infructuous. He further undertakes to comply with the directions of the July 4 order of the Director, Urban Local Bodies Haryana, Panchkula. Disposed of as infructuous,” Justice Bansal observed.