Revised Punjab and Haryana HC development plan to be presented before UNESCO

The UT Administration is set to submit a revised development plan for the Punjab and Haryana High Court before UNESCO in a meeting scheduled in Geneva during the first week of September.

The new proposal seeks to accommodate 16 additional courts, advocate chambers, cafeteria, parking facilities and administrative blocks within the existing complex while ensuring that the expansion does not compromise the heritage value of the Capitol Complex. The revised plan is designed around the “blue line envelope”, which permits 1–1.5 lakh sq ft construction at suitable distance.

According to officials, the proposed structures will be placed at a safe distance so that the structural stability of the High Court’s heritage buildings is not jeopardised.

The UNESCO advisory body, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, had in 2023 stressed that the green and open spaces behind the HC are vital for preserving the Outstanding Universal Value. “The need for open space behind the HC will help in establishing a 100,000–150,000 sq ft envelope, which could serve as the territory for locating new structures,” the ICOMOS review stated. —TNS